Technological Maelstrom Rewritten
by Sabaku Ookami
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto, a genius well known in the Elemental Nations is equally sought after by every Country, Organization and hidden village while spreading out various improvements to medical treatments to alternate sources of energy.
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto, a genius well known in the Elemental Nations is equally sought after by every Country, Organization and hidden village while spreading out various improvements to medical treatments to alternate sources of energy. The entire creation of certain inventions made by Uzumaki Naruto are Black Boxes. No one other than Naruto can create them, so there are a limited number throughout the Elemental Nations. He also refuses to create any additional ones exceeding the set amount. Enraged at the statement all hidden villages and Daimyo have searched years to find and capture Naruto, but no one is able to find or contact him... until Squad Seven gets lucky.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this little speck of fanfiction. (I still think a Disclaimer is pointless given the name of this site though) so for all future fanfics of mine... I'm not putting this down.

**Notice:** I have written several parts in about all chapters, so be sure to read it all over again and not skip to the last chapter.

**Small Warning:** Naruto will be colder and much more ruthless and I've changed the pairing a bit. It is no longer. Now it's just NarutoXKyuXKushi and I might add OC's to it.

**Reader Question:** Why did you change the pairing?

**Me:** ...Kushina and Mito are too independent and have to much 'self-respect' in ncpfan's opinion and granted in the previous version... he's right, and I determined that as Naruto's cold and hermit like personality it'd be like mixing water and oil, it wouldn't work out much if at all without changing Naruto completely.

**Reader Question: **Why are you keeping the other two?

**Me:** Kyu is a demon and thus values strength more than anything so Naruto's personality would be something that she could deal with. As for Kushi, well being 'resurrected' Naruto can fashion her in anyway he likes by manipulating her implanted memories or... some other way, basically more submissive to him. (I might re-add Mito with this idea if a lot of you like it)

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Mito walked into a nearly pitch black room, the only light that she could even get a glimpse of was somewhere towards the back, "He needs more light," she said knowing she was not going to enjoy walking into the room, it was more dangerous walking in _this_ room than any battlefield she ever been wrong step and she'd be covered and caught by the thousands of wires in there and have to wait until Naruto decided to leave the room. She had that happen once when she didn't pay attention to where she walked, she did _not_ want it to happen again.

She tiptoed in, avoiding the massive cables and wires on the ground and around the room, a couple years ago she was awed at what the blond created, she never imagined any of the stuff he showed her, then again she never imagined there would actually be a third jinchuuriki, she attempted to discuss the biju with the blond but the aura that came from Naruto when she did made her silent instantly.

Mito learned that he revived her using the kyubi's memories of her life and creating her body by some means he didn't feel like telling her, she didn't believe him at all, but he didn't care. For two years she lived with him, at first she was her normal silent and serious self but gradually she changed since when she did act like that, he ignored her, pretended she didn't even exist aside from a glare when she attempted to tell him what to do... though he still ignored her most of the time, but he did talk to her on occasion.

"Right two feet, left five feet, then jump forward," came Naruto's voice, it was for her, he knew she was coming in the room and giving her advice where to step. Mito followed his directions and then arrived where he was at, the center of all the cables and wires sitting a chair surrounded by screens and trash.

Naruto wore a black trench-coat, black pants and boots, whatever was underneath it, she had no idea as he never opened it around his chest, he had a katana on both his legs instead of at his waist.

_'How he gets anything done in this mess is mystery that even Kyubi couldn't solve,'_ she thought wondering how he could even stand being there surrounded by the garbage and worked, let alone stayed clean. He looked up at her and asked, "What do you need Mito-chan?" Mito almost melted on the spot, they got along pretty well, but she had to restrain herself whenever he said her name as she had a tendency to hug him when he said it, not that the blond minded. She couldn't explain it, but it was an urge she could barely control.

"I... uh..." said Mito blushing a bit, "I made lunch, I thought I'd let you know."

Naruto nodded before standing up, "Ladies first, Mi-chan." he said using the very short version of her name, she found it cute and discovered after some time that he found it cute as well, "Actually I think it's safer for you if we walked together." he added after a minute, he grabbed her hand and escorted her out of the room.

Once out into the hallway, he let go of her hand, "So what did you make?" he asked as they walked to the dining room.

The hallway was plain, boring, the walls were a dull gray metal, the floor was metal as well. The entire place was a large underground fortress and house. They were at the deepest level, their home more or less, everything Naruto deemed extremely important was on this level as well, where it was protected and no one ever touched or saw anything, including her, but unlike some things, she could leave and everything whenever she wanted, he never kept her imprisoned or anything like that.

"That's a secret," said Mito keeping it to herself, he'd find it when they got to the dining room, she had no reason to tell and ruin it.

"Do you enjoy it here?" asked Naruto looking at her curiously. He never showed it but he was often concerned about her, he watched her on the few camera's he had around in the house, he had one in every room except the bedrooms and bathroom, he wouldn't violate her privacy in the least bit and the camera's were in plain sight as well.

"It's a bit... lonely, but I do. Why are you asking?" questioned Mito confused, she was wondering why he asked her that and came up with a number of reasons why.

"Because I felt like asking," replied Naruto quietly as they reached the dining room,"Ah, ramen, awesome." he stated happily, he looked up at her smiling, "You're the best Mito-chan."

Mito smiled, she liked it when he smiled as he didn't do it very often, "I'm fine here with just you, Naruto." she said answering his question earlier, "I admit I wouldn't mind being in a place with other people to talk to but there's a lot to do here and the garden keeps me relaxed and occupied." she said calmly as she watched him inhale the ramen, she was still awed after watching him do it for two years. She returned to her own food and starting eating at a decent pace, from what she knew of the blond, he had absolutely no table manners though she gave him points for effort when he ate with her since half of the time he had difficulty eating in a normal manner.

By the time she finished, he had gone through over ten bowls, having lived with for him a little over 2 years, she quickly learned he had a huge stomach, where it was however, she had no idea. "I'll do the dishes today," said Naruto as he held out his hand for her bowl, it was pretty rare that he did any cleaning, she shivered remembering what the place looked like before she was there. Mito looked at Naruto as he slowly started cleaning the dishes, he was doing his best to show his concern and be kind, which was a bit odd for him as she rarely saw him leave the room she brought him out of earlier.

Naruto occasionally brought her little gifts he invented, one such present was a shuriken launcher that he shrunk and modified to fit on her forearm from a device he got from Yuki no Kuni, he even made a detailed manual for her about how to use and maintain it.

Needless to say, she had grown a little attached to the blond genius and inventor, _'He does have the ability to make anyone like him... he got the Kyubi to like him and that's one being I never thought could like anyone,'_ she thought as she had briefly met the biju when it was sealed in her before she died, and the two of them didn't get along at all.

Mito stood up, she fixed the chairs as Naruto left his in the middle of the floor like normal, possibly having forgot about it or intended to get it later, she walked over to him, he briefly glanced at her before turning his attention to the dishes in front of him, she kissed him on the cheek before leaving the kitchen and heading to her garden with a face that was the same shade as her hair.

Once Mito stepped out of the kitchen she heard the bowl he was cleaning fall and shatter on the ground, she smiled a bit wondering what he could be thinking, she giggled as she knew his brain probably overloaded and crashed. She had decided to give him a little present of her own being being so kind to her and for personal reasons.

XxxxxX

_'Wait wait wait, restart this glorified thing called a brain... good,'_ stated Kyubi having seen her container's meltdown the moment her first container kissed his cheek, _'Hey wake up'_ she added snapping her container back to reality.

"She... kissed me," said Naruto still in shock much to his tenant's annoyance.

_'Yes... yes she did, you dropped your bowl by the way,'_ said Kyubi not to concerned over the kiss on his cheek, she was somewhat used to affection being sealed into 2 containers who received a lot of it, but she could understand how he was feeling, not being given any true affection until they revived Mito.

Naruto blinked a few times before he touched the cheek she kissed and smiled a bit, he was glad he was right when he told himself she was good person. He knelt down and started cleaning up the broken pieces of the bowl all with a smile on his face, not that anyone would blame him.

After cleaning up the mess, he finished the dishes. Naruto decided that it would make Mito happy to walk in civilization for awhile and he doubted it would kill him to walk among people for a few hours with a gorgeous woman. _'Then again, if someone hits on her, I might have to hurt that person'_ he thought offhandedly, he was a bit protective of her. Naruto headed towards his room, he'd have to get a couple things before he asked her if she wanted to leave or not and he'd rather be prepared if she wanted to.

XxxxxX

Naruto returned to his room, he closed everything he was working on, but he looked at the camera's feed in the garden, he watched for a few minutes as Mito was tending to it. _'I told you my first container was good person,'_ stated Kyubi smugly, _'But no, you didn't believe me, you just thought every person in the world was a stupid moron like in Konoha... well I admit she had her own... faults in __the past. But I think you got rid of those potential problems when her stuck-up bitchiness disappeared.'_ added the kitsune calmly, watching from her container's vision. _'But who knew you'd end up having a crush on her'_

"I do not," said Naruto glaring at the screen annoyed. Kyubi was silent, probably doing something to mock him and he couldn't see it, "And every person in this world would do the same as Konohagakure if you attacked them, sealed into a child and then the whole thing told to the populace. People are stupid and I trust no one."

_'You can't hide anything from me, I know each and every desire and secret in you,'_ replied Kyubi trying to make him relent, _'And if it wasn't for me, you'd be half-way insane... like the snake sennin you read up on in Konoha years ago.'_

"Guys aren't my think, I like women," stated Naruto firmly regretting the day he read about Orochimaru, he didn't like remembering it, "And Kyu-chan, genius and insanity are two sides of the same coin... I do talk to myself as you know."

_'Good point,'_ replied Kyubi deciding not to argue with that. She cut the connection to her container and said, _'I offer a way to connect with his clan, to someone kind, pleasant and gentle... and he has no social skills to speak of. I wanted to see kits a year ago, but at this rate I won't see kits for years to come, if at all.'_ Unknown to everyone but Naruto the Kyubi was the kindest being in the world unless you either woke her up or pissed her off and neither were very hard to do since she was a demon.

"_Error, five-two-one-zero-three,"_ stated his computer, he knew that error, he had been getting it a lot, usually it was a reactor malfunctioning but he usually fixed it quickly as the reactor had a small panel to configure it and he could access via his room. He brought up images from other camera's in the world that monitored the small energy reactor's he spread out to each country.

"Wind, Fire, Noodle and Iron reactors have exploded... hundreds of people just died," he said to himself as he looked over each camera's logs, he had the camera's watching each country's reactor for this purpose, so he could keep an eye on them.

The people he mentioned that died were mostly prisoners, the reactors were all made to convert chakra in people, civilians and shinobi into usable electricity. Their cells would drain them to the smallest bit they needed to remain alive with and keep it at the level while draining what attempted to return, the reactor would convert it and it maintained a very good reusable source of energy. Though should a reactor... explode or be messed with, it could kill prisoners it was draining chakra from, not that anyone apparently cared given the situation that four exploded.

He stopped rewinding the camera's log seeing something strange, he squinted and saw the odd thing was an explosive tag. _'Each village has different tags visually though in practice they are the same, which one is that one?'_ he thought curiously, though the difference in tags was extremely small and people couldn't normally tell the difference, he wasn't normal.

Naruto shrugged, he didn't want to deal with the stupidity of finding which one and 'penalizing' them. He pressed a button and every Readius aside those inside of his home exploded. "I don't care if it was the fucking Easter Bunny who blew up the reactors. The actions of one shall affect all."

It would take several weeks until he could get the reactors back up for the four countries, it take several months to rebuild them then he'd have to send them out to the countries which then would have to install them and put them all back into place. In the total amount of time it would take, it would be almost 7 months to complete the whole process of replacing the destroyed reactors. _'Although I have ones that are already built... hurray for thinking ahead.'_ he thought somewhat happy he thought about it beforehand.

Naruto contacted a few... people he used to _spread_ his inventions around, they provided secrecy, they didn't ask questions, and so long as they were paid they didn't care what they were transporting. He knew they also used a memory wiping seal, they'd use it after meeting their client in case they ever got caught, they'd only remember where to bring the goods and that was that.

_'You have to admire that though'_ said Kyubi who had found the whole thing incredibly smart and he had to agree with her on it. The secrecy of their client was more important which was an odd sense of honor.

He quickly finished with what he had to do, once he was done, he stood up and went to Mito's garden. "Mito-chan?" he said wondering if she was still in the garden.

"Yes?" asked Mito showing herself behind behind a few trees, the garden couldn't be classified as a normal garden, it grew vegetables and fruit which was how Naruto originally planned the room, it mostly tended to itself as the only work he had to do would be to turn a valve and it would water the plants. But when Mito started living with him, it grew and soon the entire place looked like a majestic garden.

"Would you like to go into town?" he asked politely, he saw her look surprised, then she dumbly nodded, probably wondering what made him ask her that.

"Just give me a minute," she answered after returning to her senses, Naruto waited awhile and she came out of the garden, "Alright, let's go." she said happily.

As they started heading out from the lowest level to the main level, Naruto could hear her humming next to him but decided against saying anything since she would probably stop and he was beginning to like it.

"Why'd you want to leave?" asked Mito once they reached the main floor, she looked at him with a curious expression.

Naruto chuckled and answered, "It's not leaving, we are merely going outside for a little while. I'm surprised that you never do it by yourself, but I just want to." he bit his cheek to make sure he stopped talking, he did not want to end up saying he wanted to do something nice for her.

_'Heh, the only thing she'd probably do is hug you,'_ stated Kyubi laughing inside of him, _'But you'd freak out,'_ Naruto twitched as he knew she was right, he wouldn't know what to do if Mito hugged him.

They walked outside and into the village, the main level of his underground base was a normal house, well slightly normal, the windows and door weren't likely to ever get broken unless something huge sat on the house.

"It's been awhile," said Naruto seeing people sitting on the street malnourished and begging, he looked at Mito who was looking at him with begging eyes. "No," he said coldly, he knew what she wanted, she wanted to help these people and have him be apart of it.

"Why not? It's the right thing to do, we should help them," replied Mito trying to get him to change his mind.

"I hate the rich and pompous, but I hate the poor even more," stated Naruto keeping a close eye on everyone around them who were eying them like they were walking bags of money. "You might think about helping them or whatever, but poor people never stop begging." he looked at her icily, "Give them an inch, and they take the whole damn mile. They never learn to take care of themselves. Let's go before someone does something they don't live to regret." he added before he grabbed her hand and started walking.

After walking through the filth and near hundreds of homeless people, they came to an unfinished bridge, "Oh, a bridge," said Naruto sarcastically, "It would mean something if it was finished." he added before he started to walk on it.

"Hey who are you?" shouted a pink haired girl in a red dress.

Naruto stifled a laugh as the girl tried to act important and be a threat to him or Mito. His eyes flashed to her Hitai-ite then narrowed, _'...Damn, they're close, might have to relocate, but she asked who I was... maybe she doesn't know, but ninja lie.'_ he thought cautiously.

"What's going on here?" asked Mito pointing to the bridge, "and what happened to the town?" she added as well.

Naruto shook his head, annoyed as the girl answered Mito's question, he paid no attention to it, he could careless about what happened this place. After a few minutes Mito tapped him on the shoulder as he was facing away from them and in his own private world. "What is it?" he asked turning his head to look at her.

"Naruto, there's a bridge builder building the-"

"Bridge?" said Naruto cutting her off, "I can see that, all the homeless people and lack of food is obvious as well. Nami no Kuni is an island nation, whoever is controlling the port, controls this country and it's apparent that it's a tyrant. This bridge is an attempt that this country will not rely on its port for trade thus ending the _bad_ guy's little reign of tyranny. Hit me if I'm close." he felt Mito slap him in the back of his head, _'I asked for it'_ he thought causing his tenant to nod and agree with him.

"You weren't even paying attention, how would you know unless," said the pink haired girl pausing, the blond heard the sound of a kunai against cloth, "You work for Gatou, don't you?"

"Gatou... oh, the old midget, he's still alive?" questioned Naruto remembering a company with that name in it and it's owner, he turned around all the way and looked at the girl, "I'm fifty steps ahead of everyone, including Mito, the lady next to me. I can bring the entire world to its knees in a matter of minutes," he tilted his head toward Mito before continuing, "It only takes me a few seconds to analyze a situation and think up the most logical conclusion. So put that away before I shove it up your ass and throw you over the bridge, you pink haired tart."

Mito looked at him oddly, she never saw him act like this but then again, she never saw him talk to anyone but her. _'I can see why he has no social skills, he's more likely to bite or hurt someone than talk to them'_ she thought slightly happy that she got special treatment from him. Mito was sure she would probably kill him if she had to deal with the way he just talked for two years. "That's not really the point, look at what the bridge builder is doing and tell me you really believe the words you told me ten minutes ago."

Naruto turned his cold vicious gaze off the girl and looked at her with a gentle expression, Mito found it a bit odd, but ignored it, he was too cute looking at her like he was, "Of course I do," he said scoffing at her words, "Who knows when these people will start begging again. Or worse, when they decide to turn on you. People are all too eager to forget the good things you do for them. My own _family_ taught me that."

Mito bit her tongue, family was a very forbidden issue to the blond, "...I see," she said quietly, she now realized what Naruto was getting so irritated and angry when people brought up _helping_ others just to be kind, he always saw an hidden motive in some way or another whether it was there or not which linked back to something that happened to his family that he would never speak of to her. While she knew his inventions helped people, they helped everyone, not a set amount of people like the bridge was doing.

"I'm going back home, Mito. Sorry I ruined this for you," said Naruto before walking away slumped forward and staring at the ground as he walked.

"Naruto..." said Mito sadly watching him leave, she saw him stop as a silver haired jounin, blocked the blond's path, the man's vest was a dead give away to his rank. Instantly, she saw Naruto holding the jounin's kunai pouch. The jounin jumped back away from Naruto who dropped the pouch on the ground. Mito found it odd, Naruto never started any fights but then again he _did_ rarely leave their home.

"Stop!" she shouted to warn the jounin, "Don't fight him!" she had sparred against Naruto once having wanted to see how strong he was. The end result was that she laid in a bed for two months in a body-sized cast while he took care of her, but she doubted he was going to be so kind to the jounin. The jounin pulled out two kunai, deciding to ignore her warning, he landed on the roof of a building. Thinking he probably had the advantage of height and that even if Naruto was quicker, he couldn't reach him.

Mito knew that thought was dead wrong, she knew Naruto could stand on air like he was hovering on it and gave no indication he was using a jutsu, when he did so against her. He wouldn't tell her what it was though.

She watched as the blond slammed his foot down like he was going to stomp on the ground, but his foot stopped a few inches from the ground, she saw Naruto smirk while the jounin was probably just as shocked as she had been when she first saw it.

The jounin attempted to stab Naruto in the neck with one of the kunai but Naruto blocked it using the arm guards under his coat. The jounin shoved Naruto back away from him. Naruto ran around the jounin, acting like the air was nothing but solid ground then he kicked the jounin in the abdomen sending him into the dirt, but the jounin was able to correct himself and landed on his feet.

"He's fast," said Mito gulping, she now realized that he held back during their one sparring match, he moved so fast that it gave no time to form hand signs, she didn't know whether to be excited he could move so fast or scared that he was so powerful that he was treating possibly a veteran jounin like a child.

She saw Naruto float in the air for a moment, before charging towards the jounin silently, that was something she found that she liked about him. He never talked when he fought, not even if he used a jutsu. Like her, he said the jutsu in his mind that way it prevented the enemy knowing what the jutsu was, and the idle banter during a fight she just found pointless, if she was going to kill someone, she didn't need to have a polite conversation with them.

Mito saw a dark haired boy and a blond girl running over and came up to her and the pink haired girl, her breath caught in her throat as Mito saw the jounin using the kunai kage bunshin no jutsu as Naruto continued toward him. She watch in fascination as Naruto dodged through the hailing storm of kunai like he knew where they would be and he had a vicious grin on his face, she saw that same look when she sparred with him, it met he was having fun. She found it scary as hell when they sparred though.

Naruto stopped right in front of the jounin for a couple of seconds, then Mito saw Naruto slam the hilt of one of his katana's into the jounin's jaw, the blond sheathed the katana to prevent it from falling out which gave the jounin the opportunity to slash at him with a knife hidden in the sole of his sandal, he missed but the move obviously surprised Naruto, the jounin tried to stab him after missing, Naruto stopped his foot from getting too close to his body, the jounin used Naruto's arm to kick off and land safely on the ground while Naruto landed next to her and the three kids.

"W-who in the world is he?" stated the dark haired boy staring at Naruto critically, "He's acting as if Kakashi-sensei was just a genin."

_'On top of that, Naruto hasn't drawn his katana yet,'_ thought Mito knowing what it meant when he unsheathed them, while he was a genius and very kind to her, she learned that he had the honor of a samurai and that he would not sheathe his blade until he or his enemy was dead.

Mito saw Kakashi, if she got his name right, move his Hitai-ite revealing the Uchiha kekkai genkai, the sharingan, that was in his hidden eye, it looked to be implanted if the scar was any indication to her. She heard the sound of metal against metal that caused her nerves to stand on end. "Kakashi-san! Run away!" she shouted knowing that what she felt was Naruto unsheathing his katana and unleashing a wave of killing intent as he did it.

She watched as Kakashi jumped back at the last second as Naruto slammed into the spot Kakashi occupied seconds earlier, when the dust cleared, there was a good sized crater.

Mito watched as Kakashi used some sort of jutsu that sounded like hundreds of birds chirping, a raiton jutsu if the electricity in his hand did not like healthy, it looked extremely fatal if it touched someone. She watched as Kakashi tried to hit Naruto with the move two times, but missed by a large margin, he tried a third time but Naruto moved at the last second and Kakashi got his hand stuck in the ground.

Mito knew the Sharingan was useless against the blond, in one of her rare talks with the kitsune when it was sealed in her, it had created the kekkai genkai, so it was probably informing him how to make sure it didn't effect him at all.

As Kakashi pulled his hand out of the ground, Naruto kicked him in the face making him fall into the ground, face first. Mito watched as Naruto walked over to the defeated jounin, he stared at the silver haired man for a moment before raising one of his katana in the air, "Stop!" she shouted just before he split open the jounin's skull.

"Then you'll forfeit your life in his place," asked the blond coldly, Mito flinched from his gaze, she now realized this was his true self, he wasn't the kind and polite teenager she saw everyday. "No? Then stand there and shut the hell up." he added angrily, "This isn't your fight, Mito. Stay out of it or I'll kill you as well."

"_Best listen to him, dear."_ stated Kyu happily, _"Don't go thinking he's a weak little pushover, if he was I'd have ripped his soul to shreds already. He'll allow _no one_ to make him do anything and he will kill those who interfere with his fights... he is a full-fledged demon after all."_

Naruto sheathed his katana and Mito visibly relaxed. That is, until he kicked Kakashi making him roll over onto his back, "Sickening little parasite aren't you? You were the bastard that kept following me around as a kid, but you were an Anbu back then and you always ordered your squad _not _to stop the mobs and other shit happening to me. Why the demotion? Did you not suck my father's dick one day?" Mito cringed as Naruto punched the jounin in the face when he tried to speak, "I didn't say you could talk. I'm taking what you value the most just under your beloved Hokage. I'll be taking your eyeball, Inu-san."

Mito vomited a little in her mouth as she watched Naruto literally rip out Kakashi's sharingan eye and crush it in his hand. She could hear his screams as well which seemed to drown everything out, the genin next to her were puking out their guts. She looked back at Naruto who had the same vicious grin on his face from earlier, "Show pathetic little life around me again and I'll take it from you, you pathetic dog." he stood and started walking away.

Mito paused for a moment before quickly following him, she did _not_ want to be around when they all returned to normal as she knew she'd be their target is she stayed until then.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A/N: This is the rewritten chapter 1. I'm sure you'll notice the difference... if you don't. Uh... get glasses.

Naruto's Inventions:

Seal Scrolls: Anyone can use including civilians (no # limit)

Wrist-Shuriken launchers: just 2 (naruto and Mito) for the moment. (Trotha, my beta came up with this, quite a good idea too)

Additional power sources: 1 for each country. 0 for hidden villages. Limited #

Advanced medical treatments

new medical drugs

First aid kits that are more efficient and better supplied.

Readius (157) to every village and country. Limited # (It keeps track of items, health and has a map of the Elemental Nations (in this fanfic) that is constantly updated and such by Naruto.)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: You all are cold-hearted critics -_-

Since there's a big murderous mob forming... The pairing has in it: Kushi, Mito, Kyu, ? (There are others but there's not a need to tell you all right now) Let it not be said that a mob can't change someone's mind. ^^'

Side note: As I'm sure some people noticed, I deleted my other stories... again. Though this reason is so I don't get sidetracked from this one which does happen to me pretty damn often.

To the anon reviewer 'do': If you hate femkyubi, don't read fanfics with femkyubi and you could wait until later chapters until you bitch about something, it's not like I'm turning them into sex slaves. :/

This does qualify you as a troll since you're not really criticizing any important issue within the fanfic, you're just being an ass and trying to give me a headache.

Also I'm pretty laidback and your little 'sexist bastard' insult doesn't really hurt my feelings (It amuses me to be honest) and the correct word would be 'pervert' and every guy has perverted side to them so it's not really an insult, to me at least.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Naruto walked away from the ninja from Konoha, he dealt with Inu and that was all that was needed, the two genin and his sister weren't enough to even make him worry. He heard Mito's footsteps behind him but they were still some distance away from him.

His eyebrow twitched as he heard someone running, "The weak will only end up dead," stated Naruto before he turned around and grabbed whoever attempted to attack him, it was his little sister who tried hit him, "How pitiful. Is this what you've become? At least you have more integrity in your lack of pretense than our parents," he let go of her and she fell to the ground on her butt, "Can you stand up, little sister?" asked Naruto staring at her, she stood up and tried to punch him though he grabbed her fist, "Use your anger and toughen up! If you can't defend yourself, you're better off dead," stated Naruto coldly before pushing her back.

"Is she family?" asked Mito a bit confused though she did hear him call this blond girl his little sister.

Naruto scowled as Mito looked at him with a pleading expression, "I'll... tell you when we're back home, ignore her." he said before he grabbed her hand, Mito nodded silently and they started walking away, infuriating a blond girl even more.

"Die!" shouted his sister angrily as she charged him with a kunai in hand. Naruto turned around and her chest slammed right into his palm, knocking the air out of her. He and Mito took this moment to leave and this time without anyone attacking him.

The walk through the town was quiet between the two of them, Naruto didn't want to talk out in the open and Mito knew she stepped on forbidden grounds and decided it was best to be quiet. _'I'm stupid, the one thing he doesn't ever like to talk about and I went and asked about it. Good going Mito,'_ she thought berating herself the entire way back to their home.

When they got home Naruto held open the door for her, which was normal and she figured that maybe he wasn't too pissed off. Once they were inside Naruto said, "So you want to know what makes me hate my family and why they hate me? I suppose I should tell you, you've been living with me for two years... but you'll end up with their conclusion as you sealed Kyubi in yourself to protect others and so on."

"You... weren't willing?" asked Mito confused, she sealed the kitsune in her when Madara summoned it against Hashirama years ago, then it was sealed into a young woman called Kushina, both her and Kushina were willing as she wouldn't have let anyone have the Kyubi sealed in them against their own will. "and I won't hate you or anything of the sort, Naruto."

"We'll see," said Naruto calmly before he took a deep breath and started explaining first how the Kyubi got sealed into him then what happened five years ago with his family.

XxxxxX Flash Back XxxxxX

"_Do you understand Sochi?" asked Minato looking at his twelve year old son as he just finished explaining to him what was sealed in him and why. Naruto remained silent staring at the ground, "I know it's hard to understand. It's tough but we can work together in this and change how the village looks at you. You can help your sister be Hokage too."_

"_Why did it have to be me?" he asked calmly, the tone of his voice was quiet and a sounded a little lost._

"_Well..." started Minato hesitantly, "Because your mother and I didn't want to have another family's child go through the sealing."_

_Naruto looked at him and asked, "Is that why you raised me?" At the moment he saw nothing but two people who sacrificed his potentially normal life to be used a weapon. To him, the best solution would have been to retreat from a pissed off nine tailed kitsune instead of attacking it._

"_Naruto? What are you talking about? You should be proud we choose you for something like that." stated his mother, Kushina shocked at the question her son had spoken, she was proud to have had held back the kitsune for years and she wouldn't have her son thinking anything different either._

"_...So selfish," muttered Naruto narrowing his eyes at the two of them._

_Minato tilted his head confused, and asked "What's wrong, Sochi? You're not acting like your usual self."_

_Naruto smirked and answered, "You annoy me, that's all."_

"_Hehe, 'Your usual self', my nine tailed sexy ass," stated a voice, it was feminine but had a feral tone to it, "What do these stupid humans know about you?"_

_Minato glared at Naruto and asked, "Is that Kyubi?"_

"_Oh, is my voice coming through already?" questioned the Kyubi happily this was only container where her voice could reach outside of her jailor's mind, "Damn, this body fits me like a glove! It's like it was made for me." To say she was excited was an understatement, "Hey, blond bastard. Since we're fused. I can feel and see everything your son here is thinking. Want me to tell you?" asked the fox acting like it held a giant secret, which it did, "It's something along the lines of, 'Who gives a shit about this village? Everyone needs to just die!"_

_Without warning Naruto unsheathed the katana tied to his leg and slashed his father's side, "Dear!" said Kushina seeing her husband fall to the floor bleeding from his side._

"What's wrong, cutie?"_ asked Kyubi mentally, wondering what was wrong with the blond's body as it wasn't moving. They had spoken for years, so she wasn't the demonic psychopath everyone thought she was, but could be when pissed and this was one such time._

"_I... can't move!" answered Naruto unable to move no matter how much he tried to, it was irritating him._

_Twelve Anbu appeared in the room, "That's right," said the one dressed in a white coat and had a dog mask, "You can't. It's a little trap we kept on hand, in case you ever got out of control, demon."_

_The Hokage looked at the Anbu, he cringed standing up slowly with the help of his wife, "Everyone, be careful! Their power is immense. We may have to sacrifice ourselves to save Konoha!" he said glaring at Naruto who just had a bored expression on his face._

_Kyubi gave off a sound close to disgust and said, "How irritating. Hey cutie, take care of them, would you?" she sent out a wave of her chakra disabling the seal freezing her container in place._

_Naruto glared at the Anbu and his parents, "Die."_

_XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX_

"I... killed most of the Anbu then I was forced to run when a huge fucking toad was heading towards me with an old guy on it and well... here I am." said Naruto as he finished talking to her, "Now they only want to me to return to wipe my mind, make me a weapon, make new inventions and command the demons under me," he added looking at her, she was speechless, that he already knew would happen. He shrugged, "Do what you want now." he said before heading down to the lowest level to work or go to sleep he was debating with himself about it.

Naruto went in his room and sealed the door behind him, whatever Mito wanted to do would be up to her, he wasn't going to attempt to influence her in any way. He sat in his chair and pulled over towards him a large translucent screen, it was his latest invention and it was extremely temperamental, it blew up more than half of the time he used it, suffice to say, it was far from being something he could duplicate, not that he would, a lot of his inventions never left his underground base and those that did leave, he made sure that no one could ever reverse-engineer them.

Until he worked out all of the quirks he used the screen for small useless things, mostly playing music while he did his work. He found it easier to work while he listened to one of the few bands or singers that he liked.

"What?" asked Naruto seeing a small flash on the corner of his screen, a small picture of a spider popped up, then words next to it which were.

_Bird arrived at Hokage's office, five Anbu squads, three jounin squads and Hokage's wife are heading to Nami no Kuni._

Naruto sighed, nothing ever went his way, something always had to fuck up his life in one way or another. "Recall Code: 0425820, Recall Code: 239510."

_I will do so._

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Two Weeks Later

XxxxxX

Naruto had locked himself in his workroom for two weeks, he never heard Mito since he told her what happened with Kyubi and his parents. He still saw her on the camera's monitoring his base and home, but other than that, he ignored everything out of his room.

He received a brief report from one of his few friends in the world that the bridge in Nami no Kuni finished with little problem once Gatou's company went broke, the report also said he died from a heart attack which made Naruto laugh.

What made him unhappy was the bad news the report gave, there were Konoha Anbu and jounin throughout the country looking for him and soon, the Daimyo and other hidden villages would join in on the search. Naruto had little doubt they'd ever find him, they all too stupid for that to ever happen unless he decided to show himself like he did with the jounin and his sister.

He heard a familiar odd musical tone from the speakers, he hit a button on his keyboard, "This is the fifth hundredth elemental house of ramen, how may I take your order?" he asked sarcastically as he knew who it was, he enjoyed messing with him.

"I'll have Miso ramen, two bowls, an egg and the person with me will give you a bump on the head," answered the voice chuckling.

"What is it, Itachi?" asked Naruto smirking, the rogue Uchiha and him got along pretty well, at first it was because their mother's wanted them to, but eventually they were inseparable, they still were in a way.

"Akatsuki's on the move... the Hachibi and two others have already been caught," answered Itachi seriously, "Now open the fucking door- OW! Don't hit me."

"Don't swear in front of a lady, young man." stated another voice and Naruto snickered quietly to himself, "Naruto-chan, open the door please."

"Hai, Hai, Mikoto," replied Naruto trying to hold in his fit of laughter as he entered in the command to unlock and open the surface door.

He stood up and exited his room and headed towards the main room that lead to the stairs heading upwards, once in the room he waited a few minutes until two figures descended down the stairs. They walked in the room, one was Itachi wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it with whatever underneath and next to him was Uchiha Mikoto, the only true survivor of the Uchiha massacre. She wore a light blue long-sleeved shirt with a black knee-length skirt and dark blue ninja sandals.

Naruto sighed as the female Uchiha hugged him, he always liked Mikoto. She and Itachi were only two people that he could trust completely without any doubt. She always used to take care of him when he got cornered by the mobs, _'I'm a little sad Fugaku-san died,'_ thought Naruto sadly, while Fugaku wasn't the nicest person you could ever meet, the man was okay in Naruto's opinion. Fugaku always dealt with the people who harmed him harshly as did the others in the ninja police and Uchiha Clan though he did know the man held a small grudge against him when he had bit his hand and never let go until Mikoto coaxed him with ramen.

"Hello Mikoto, Itachi," said Naruto returning the hug from Mikoto.

"Akatsuki was boring, not much on the whole structure... I'll write up a report about them for you to read over later," said Itachi seriously, "I'm going to find a spare room, I need to change into something decent than this over-sized snot rag."

Naruto chuckled and replied, "Don't scare Mito, actually if you see her, ask her to see me." Itachi nodded and he continued down the hall.

"Mito? Who's that?" asked Mikoto curiously, she smiled and continued, "Your girlfriend? Did little Naruto finally find someone?"

Naruto sweatdropped at her question, since he didn't have much of a... mother, Mikoto took that position in full stride, she was always interested in what happened in his life and whatever he happened to make, "Not quite, Kyu and I experimented with something and recreated her first container... in a roundabout sort of way, besides you know me, Mikoto. No woman in their right mind is going to date me, I'd screw up so much it wouldn't even be funny. I'll stick to my inventions, if I ever want a child... I can adopt an orphan."'

"I'd date you..." said Mikoto bluntly, "You're cute, sweet and a little nice. Though the town above this place is a bit... unattractive." Naruto stared at her blinking, he was still stuck on her first sentence, "Relax Naruto-chan, relax." she said as she started rubbing his cheeks, whenever he heard something very odd he froze, though Mikoto knew several ways to get him to pay attention.

"Itachi would hurt me," said Naruto paling a little bit, out of everyone he knew, Itachi had a good chance to be able to kick his ass.

Mikoto giggled and replied, "Probably, but I want to meet this Mito. Ara... does she know about Kyu and your... past?" she was just as uncomfortable bringing up his past as he was.

Naruto stared at the floor, "I told her two weeks ago then I locked myself in my workroom. So I don't know about her." he answered quietly, Mikoto patted his head gently.

"Poor Naruto," said Mikoto quietly, "It's not like you can be blamed for what happened. You reap what you sow, yes?"

Naruto chuckled and replied, "True, are you hungry?"

"Taking me on a date already?" said Mikoto mischievously, she loved teasing her surrogate son, "My, my, you move very quick and on a mature woman no less." her smile grew wider seeing his face light up like a tomato, "Yes, I'm a little hungry. Let's go to the kitchen." she added giggling to herself, if anyone who knew her in Konoha saw her right now, they'd wonder what happened to her.

She was never able to tease Itachi or her other son, Sasuke as they never seemed to react to her attempts but she was able to tease Naruto as he did react to her teasing and she did so whenever she could, mostly because she enjoyed seeing him flustered and sometimes if she was really lucky see him smiling.

Naruto was still bright red but he walked quietly alongside her as he brought her to the kitchen, Mikoto kept looking around with an interested look. By the time they reached the kitchen Naruto's red face returned to normal, he saw Mito in the kitchen as well.

"Mikoto, this is Mito. Mito, this is Mikoto-kaa-chan," said Naruto looking between the two as he introduced them to each other, this time he caused Mikoto to blush. While she didn't mind being called 'mom' by him, she was always a bit embarrassed when he said it.

"Nice to meet you, Mito-san," said Mikoto politely looking at the red haired woman

Mito nodded and replied, "Nice to meet you as well," she looked at Naruto, "I don't care about what you did, I'm staying whether or not you like it."

"That's good," said Naruto happy that she decided to stay, he counted her among his friends and he never liked losing the small amount of friends he had, "What would you like to eat, Mikoto? I can make just about any food in the elemental nations... and then some."

"Anything is fine," said Mikoto as she took a seat at the dining table.

"Alright," said Naruto shrugging as he started making her favorite food. While he cooked, Mito and Mikoto talked, what about... he had no idea, his mind sort of drowned them out as he cooked.

"Facility Lockdown. Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert. Main door breached," stated his system over the speakers he had around the place. Ten seconds later, hundreds of fist sized squares fell from the ceiling onto the floor and one fell into the pan he was cooking with.

Naruto grabbed it and tossed it on the floor, then he turned off the stove, "Why is one of them above the stove?" he asked turning around watching the cubes spread apart into spiders, which all stared at him. "What?" he asked glaring at them, "You know your roles, so get to them." he looked at Mito, "Mito, go pack whatever you want to take."

"Why?" asked Mito curiously.

"If the retards of Konohagakure can find this hole in the ground... it's not going to take very long for the rest of the elemental lands to find it and while my maintenance spiders can... deal with intruders, I don't want constant interruptions so we're moving." answered Naruto seriously, he looked at Mikoto, "Sorry, but lunch will have to wait a few hours. I have some snacks, you're free to eat those for now if you want, Mikoto."

"I'll wait, you always made the oddest snacks and I'm a little scared of what you might have created food-wise over the last few years," said Mikoto kindly, while she liked his cooking, his odd creations in making snacks weren't the best.

"I gave up making portable ramen," stated Naruto annoyed, "Anyways, I have to go greet our guests." he looked at the wall behind Mikoto, "Let's go," he said and Mikoto's eyes widened seeing the wall piece apart and turn into a spider half the size of a normal human.

Mito and Mikoto just stared at the rather large missing part of the wall, "That... was new," said Mito never _ever_ seen such a thing before in her two years of staying with Naruto.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"I'm not surprised," said Naruto reaching the surface, the ninja that had came inside of his base had been killed by the spiders, the village that he had based his home in was burning to the ground and the streets were littered with dead and dying people. One of the two large spiders on his side gave a mechanical hiss, as a red haired woman and five Anbu landed in front of them. He looked at the two large spiders and nodded and they quickly ran past the Anbu, "They'll put out your fires and save who they can. So you've fallen as low as those you surround yourself with, eh, Okaa-san?"

"Capture him," ordered the red head seriously.

The five Anbu who charged him slammed into the ground held by some unknown force, "As part of your schemes, you unleash fire. Although the act of burning a town and killing the innocent is truly unforgivable, I would prefer not to take your lives in punishment," said Naruto seriously as he stared at the struggling ninja, his whisker marks turned into red lines reaching back towards his neck and he looked a bit more feral, "However, it cannot be helped. Death to you all." The Anbu all screamed as every bone in their body broke and their limbs twisted around by themselves.

"Ouch," said a new voice, Naruto looked behind him and saw Itachi then Mikoto and Mito behind him.

The redhead charged him as her subordinates were dead and a light blue blur blocked the redhead's attack, "Mikoto?" stated the redhead looking at Mikoto who blocked her, "Why?"

Mikoto smiled kindly and replied, "Kushina-chan. I'm your friend. However, in situation that involve Naruto... Naruto-chan trumps all." Kushina fell to the ground as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, Naruto saw Itachi behind her and most likely had knocked her out, "My, my, Kushina must be losing her touch as a ninja, she must not be training."

"She's the Hokage's wife," said Naruto seriously, "Why the need to train when she doesn't go on missions and she's protected by Anbu all the time. This matter has been settled. I have to see how many people survived... in a way this is partially my fault, though I still pin the blame on Konohagakure and their murderous little thugs in uniform." he added as he walked away looking for the two large spiders and anyone still breathing.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A/N: I was going to continue a bit more on this but I figure some people might be a bit eager to see the new chapter... and it gives me something to work with on the next chapter. And as last version, should I have Kushina attempt at repenting or what...


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I've decided to go with an... interesting idea that a few people gave, if you want to know it. Take a quick peek at the reviews and take an evil guess or read the chapter... whichever.

Also with more happy news, I have 4 new puppies that are super super cute ^^' (yes, I'm a sucker for cute things)

Sorry about the _super _late chapter, things happened and since the list is quite long, I doubt you'd care to know.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Naruto spent a few hours above dealing with people and the fires then Itachi and Mito took over for him while he went back into his home, he had to deal with his... guest and other things he still had to do.

He walked around until a loud alarm went off throughout his base, "What the hell's going on now?" shouted Naruto as he started heading towards his room.

"Warning Level 1. Bindings Released." stated the system throughout his base.

Naruto reached his console and sat down, he slammed his fist on his chair after looking at the screen "Damn it, the countdown has started as well." he growled angrily before he started typing.

XxxxxX

Mikoto looked around hearing the alarm, she pulled our her own Readius and tried to contact Naruto but she couldn't and the Readius stated, "Currently, we are at Emergency Level 3. Readius usage is reserved for Class A and B users only. Class C users, please try again later."

"Oh come on," muttered Mikoto annoyed at the response from the little machine.

XxxxxX

"It's no use. System is no longer responding," said Naruto to himself as he couldn't do anything to the system anymore as nothing he was doing was having any effect.

"Auto-Mode activated," stated the system making Naruto grimace at hearing it.

"How is that possible? I disabled that mode after the incident," muttered Naruto as he got up and started heading towards the source of the problem, "Only my Readius can enable it." he added as he walked through the hallways.

As soon as he walked into the room where he knew where the problem was, the lights turned off. "What happened?" he asked looking up as the power seemingly shut off. He heard a sparking sound and turned toward its source, "She turned them off..." he added after a couple seconds.

Naruto stood silently as the binding on coffin-like metal box popped off, he sighed as a white haired teenage girl stepped out of it, she was wearing a dark blue kimono with red flames spread all over on it. Her white hair was almost down to her ankles, her eyes were covered by a black visor which was mostly covering her face. It shifted upwards to her forehead revealing red slitted eyes.

"Acting up like you own the place," said Naruto looking at her annoyed, "You need to change, System and I find it insulting that you don't give me any warning when you do this."

"I do own this place, I _am _this place," replied the girl smugly, "I don't mind being connected to everything in the base but you _are_ going to have to move and that means, I have to as well. So I decided to come out."

"I have enough problems... this is just going to cause even more trouble," said Naruto depressively, "Just don't do anything extreme."

"I never do," replied the girl before walking past him and leaving the room.

XxxxxX

Mikoto had left Kushina in the room and looked around for Naruto but never found him and at the moment, she was in the kitchen staring at a very odd AGI staring back at her. "You! Hey, you! Yeah, you!" said the little spider thing, "You got any dishes?" it asked still staring at her.

"Dishes? Why would you want dishes?" she asked a little confused.

"Why do you want dishes? Huh? You some kind of sick dish hoarder? Oh god, give me the dishes, please! It's sitting somewhere on you, taunting me!" stated the little thing crazily, Mikoto took a step back from it, a bit scared, "Sorry... I'm sorry. I got a little carried away. It's just all those damn dirty dishes out there with no one to clean them! It breaks my heart!"

"You seemed obsessed with dishes," said Mikoto cautiously.

"Of course I'm obsessed!" replied the AGI sounding similar to a nutcase, "She made me this way! You think I don't know how crazy I sound? Of course I do! She programmed me to know that, too!" Mikoto felt quite sad for this little machine, she crouched down to look at it better, "They made me just to torture me. But you know, it's the neglect that hurts the most. 'Hey everybody, let's have a red haired woman do the dishes!'" it looked at her and continued, "Do you know how many dishes that woman leaves for me to clean? NOT FUCKING MANY!"

"What do you do with the dishes?" asked Mikoto suspiciously, this thing was insane so it was a good question in her mind.

"Oh I'm supposed to keep them clean," said the little spider happily, "Oh god, the thought of all those dirty dishes out in the world makes me crazy!"

"Can you do anything else?" she asked curiously.

"Anything else, she asks?" said a new voice that sounded like it wasn't trying to laugh, "Like that AGI doesn't long for the chance to be more than a neurotic busboy." added the voice and soon the voice had a body, a young girl that had white hair in a ponytail and red slitted eyes, she wore a black kimono, but it was shorter than the more modest and usual ones, she also wore a dark gray haori, black stockings, fingerless gloves and boots. She had a simple leather collar around her neck but it didn't bring her any discomfort that could be seen, "If you _must_ know. At one point, I programmed him to manufacture electronic components in his central chassis." she tilted her head cutely and added, "But that module got corroded when the Toaster over there spilled hot crumbs down his vents. I never made a back-up for it, sadly."

"So um... what is he?" asked Mikoto standing up and talking to the new girl.

"You... you really want to know about... him?" questioned the girl genuinely surprised, her eyes were sparkling and she seemed very happy that Mikoto asked about the tiny AGI, "Maybe you've seen some of the other big, imposing AGI's?" There was a short pause before she continued, "He's not one of those." she stated simply, "I was... jealous of Naruto and I thought it would be funny to build a tiny neurotic AGI. His name is Dishy."

The girl walked past her and then placed a dish on the ground, the little AGI's lights lit up, "Oh, sweet, sweet fulfillment!" stated Dishy as it scrambled over to the dish and started cleaning it.

"Who are you?" asked Mikoto curiously, she thought only Mito had been living with Naruto.

The girl shrugged and answered, "I don't really have a name. Naruto calls me System, I suppose you can say that's my name. Fitting I suppose since I run everything in the network." The girl saw Mikoto slightly confused and decided to dumb it down, "I'm not human... well biologically, I am, but I wasn't born. I was created, I more or less keep everything in all of Naruto's base's running, I help think of things to do with his inventions, I deal with the AGI's and about a thousand other things on a daily basis... sort of. Mostly Naruto does the work and I help out except when he's asleep then I do all the work. Anyways, it's been... three years since I've actually eaten anything, want me to make you something as well?" she asked looking at the dark haired woman seriously.

"So should I call you System?" questioned Mikoto finding it very, very odd.

She looked at Mikoto and replied, "You could call me a white haired slut or tramp and I wouldn't care. Call me whatever you want, it makes little difference to me, Mikoto-san. But Yes, if you want you can call me System or any other name you like."

"How do you-"

"Know your name?" finished System calmly, "I _am_ Naruto's computer in a sense, I know everything he knows, except for his memories. Whatever knowledge he has inserted into his computer, you could say, it's in me. Now, how about I cook? Do you want some?"

"Sure," said Mikoto blinking at she sat down to take what she just learned in.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Naruto sat on the floor in the hallway, he needed a few minutes to relax, too much stuff was happening and it was taking its toll on him. He never liked it when events moved quickly, mistakes happened when things moved quickly. Naruto sighed as he stood up, "I'm going to take a nap, that should help," he said nodding to himself as he headed towards his room.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A/N: I know, it's VERY short, but this is as far as I can go with _this_ chapter, I couldn't think of anything else to add to this. Chapter 4 should be longer and hopefully, I can get it out faster.

Side note: I'm also making a Naruto/Skyrim crossover, but I'll try and be a bit more quicker in updating all of my fanfics.

To make Statement: EndGame666 brought to my attention that since I do have the tendency to delete my stories that he was hesitant about alerting them and such. I've already given him a reply but I've decided to give the rest of you the same reassurance in the following message.

Yes, I have deleted about... 10+ of my fanfics over the years, but as creating summaries is extremely hard for me to get them exactly the same or thinking up new ones if I repost the same story and because I get quite a bit of people asking me why I deleted them...

I will not delete my fanfics unless absolutely necessary. (Meaning, if I abandon it and someone adopts it. Which is damn well unlikely.) And should I delete a fanfic, I will give 7 day warning and explanation so no one wonders what the hell happened to it.

Term:

AGI – Artificial General Intelligence (AGI for short) You can think of these along the same lines of Haro's or Tachikoma's, but far more intelligent and they don't speak out loud, except for Dishy. Aside from normal messages that they can send to a console or Readius, only Naruto knows what they say if they make sounds from spending too much time around them. (Name and such came from X3 Terran Conflict)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here's the next chapter...

XxxxxxxX

Hours later Naruto woke up and yawned, he got up and did his usual routine in the bathroom connected to his room then came back and sat down in his chair and looked at his screen, he pressed several buttons and dozens of smaller screens each with something different on them appeared.

Naruto blinked several times seeing very odd things on the camera's, he saw several villagers on his camera's and that never fucking happened and they were screwing around in boxes that had most of his inventions in and that downright pissed him off.

Naruto's hands blurred across the keyboard, the lights turned to a flashing red, an alarm went off and several of the large AGI's dropped onto the floor in several of the hallways. Though unlike the other two he had above ground possibly doing whatever, these ones, instead of a steel gray color, they were pitch black with red eyes. While the others one were for normal security or maintenance, the black AGI's were more of a... 'Kill on Sight' kind with the ability to shoot out shuriken, and had a nice little addition to erupt in flames, burning everything around it if it was ever surrounded in close quarters.

He watched silently as the people ran like little girls once the alarm went off and his AGI's moved and stationed themselves at the entrance. He also noticed that Itachi, Mikoto and Mito were outside as well, possibly because of the alarm.

_'This was probably their doing,'_ he thought as he looked at Mito and Mikoto seriously, _'I can't trust anyone... This is not a fucking store, nor is it a 'grab what you can and you get it for free' There's a reason I will not allow my inventions into the world.'_ he growled mentally.

Naruto entered a series of commands onto his keyboard and all the lights shut off but the alarm kept going, "Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" asked System walking up behind him.

"Take Kushina from her room to the outside, you will get my answer then." answered Naruto seriously as he closed his eyes.

System nodding and said, "If that is what you want." She left the room to do as he asked.

XxxxxX

System brought out the redhead and stood next to the four KOS-AGI's silently. She heard the speakers on the machines next to her turn on, "You're outside, right?" said Naruto over the speaker.

"Yes," replied System quietly.

"Naruto-chan, what's going on?" asked Mikoto looking at one of the AGI's, slightly conerned.

Naruto was quiet for a moment but after awhile answered, "I'm destroying my inventions and all technological advances I created in every base I have."

"Why? Why would you do that?" asked Mito confused, wondering what suddenly made him want to destroy everything he spent years of his life on.

"A man once said, 'Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal.'" stated Naruto seriously, "It took me awhile, but I finally see his point. How often has humanity chased the dream of progress, only to see that dream perverted? The machines I've built to improve life, can only shatter the lives of millions and improve nothing." The two women were silent as he continued, "And now you've turned on me, allowing those... people into my home right to highly secret and dangerous inventions, to what? Improve their lives? Experience has shown me how dangerous that can be. Most of the time, I tried to keep my values in mind, knowing my actions did _not_ have to harm others. I held on to my humanity, resisting the urge to abuse power or resources in order to meet my goals, barely."

"But Naruto, your inventions could help a lot of people and if you are going to destroy your bases and your inventions, you should come out of there," said Mikoto worried about him still being inside.

"My technology and inventions offers strength, strength enables dominance, and dominance paves the way for abuse. System and I understand this. We knew that using technology, we risk our ability to love, aspire, or make _moral_ choices. The very things that make us Human." stated Naruto seriously then the speakers turned off.

"Why not kill me as well?" asked Kushina voicing her opinion knowing that if this was something she would do, she'd kill her enemies as well.

System looked at Kushina and answered, "Do you think that Naruto-sama has the right to choose to kill you, if he commits suicide?" She shook her head and continued, "No. Because it isn't up to him. It isn't up to any Daimyo, Kage or even an imaginative Kami, either. Each person must decide what course their lives should take and if Naruto doesn't trust those closest to him and still allows his inventions to remain... It risks giving some men the power to fool his most trusted friend and make others what they choose, regardless of the cost to human dignity," said System solemnly as she started walking backwards into the base with the AGI's and the KOS-AGI's that followed her, "The suffering inflicted to this village is _not _the end of the world. It is merely the seed for change. And change never comes... without pain." Mito flinched as once the doors closed, they suddenly imploded. Mikoto, Itachi and her looked where the doors had been and saw nothing but empty space, they couldn't even see the bottom of the huge hole.

"Naruto... he's... gone," said Mito shocked as she stared into the hole.

Mikoto fell to her knees and started crying, she lost her family once before and now it felt the same, if not worse as a person she cared for, decided to kill himself in order to preserve the thinly kept peace around the elemental nations just because she and Mito decided to let the villagers in the base.

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A/N: Is Naruto dead? Who knows. (Well, I do I suppose)

Some, if not all are going to assume why he suddenly decided to implode and destroy everything along with himself and such.

Well I shall try to explain... (To save myself from repeating the same answer in any reviews or pm's I might get)

Naruto values his humanity. He resisted giving the 'All Clear' order for the KOS-AGI's to start a massacre on the villagers that Mito and Mikoto allowed into the base. He wanted nothing more than to slaughter them for trespassing, but he resisted that urge and simply removed the temptation, his inventions and bases from the world and threw out everyone but System.

He also didn't want his inventions remaining in the world as if those he trusted the most allowed those he didn't trust into his home even with good intentions and should his inventions ever get released to the world, they would be perverted in ways he didn't ever want.

Hopefully that made sense... if not... well wait until other chapters come out and maybe I'll end up explaining it in the story.

This chapter and the last were... short and I admit, I haven't had much... inspiration in what to do, so in a way, this helps clear the road for a few things that I originally planned but couldn't figure out how to get to. :3

Just know the pairing hasn't changed, so put the pitchforks down!.

Term:

KOS-AGI – Kill On Sight (KOS) - (AGI) Artifical General Intelligence – These are more of a 'Military' version of the other AGI's.

So no one gets confused... including myself. Naruto's little... harem will have: System, Mito, Mikoto, OC (Not showing her just yet), Kushina (maybe).

And that should be it unless something else comes to mind.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here's a fun question on my mind right now... Don't you hate it when people act like total pricks even when you try and give them advice? I do. Now to people who really piss me off.

Now... to the person who reviewed by the name "Reviewer' and... every other prick in the world. If you dislike something in the fanfic, I do not mind if you say so or whatever, but saying you want me to STOP something just because you don't like it... well there's a few things wrong with that...

1: I'm writing this fanfic, not you. If anyone dislikes anything in this story than I welcome you to create a side-story going in the direction you want it to go and I will be glad to read your version and see how you've done it, but I will criticize the tiniest mistake or screw up. (You piss me off, I do reserve the right to be an ass.)

2: I've conceded to one demand of my readers which was to put Mito back into the pairing and I did so, mostly because people weren't asshole about it and a lot of you guys I've known as reviewers for quite some time. Just don't push your luck too far in any outrageous demands and that includes telling me what to do with MY fanfic. I already have someone like that and he actually gives valid reasons and facts with what I would need to change.

3: Lastly... when the hell did everyone get so damn close-minded and judgmental? I think most people just post crap so they can see their own words which gives them a delusional mentality that their opinion actually means anything to anyone and that they influence the outcome of something with their _eternal wisdom or advice. _(Glares)

To Trolls, Flamers and generally all morons: Look, your opinions mean _nothing_, your reviews mean _nothing,_ you're not influencing shit, you're not some super awesome reviewing superstar. You're a lonely loser, you're only friend is a screen of pixelated text! Stop typing and go download some porn! At least it'll keep your hands busy, long enough for the rest of us to get a short break from your stupidity! Open your fucking mind, you texting little pricks! (Author storms off.) Bastards!

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Smaller Note – More polite too.

The next chapter should hopefully come out thursday, if not... probably friday or saturday.

Oh yeah, if anyone wants to reply(review) to this... you're welcome to do so, it'd be fun to see what you think of the rant :3 and yes, I feel alot better after doing it. =_=


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: To those who reviewed my little rant. It's nice to see that several people agree with my opinion and perspective. To those who didn't like the rant... too bad for you.

Now this chapter took longer than I had stated and for that, I apologize. It took longer than I anticipated and I need to rethink my ability to guess things. This chapter was done by ncpfan and myself and he's done an awesome job like always :3

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Kushina just stared at the campfire she had made, lost in her thoughts. It had been two days since she left Nami no Kuni, with thoughts of nothing but Naruto's actions and words racing through her mind since. She understood that Mikoto and Itachi parted ways with her and let her go her own way for the sake of the friendship that she and Mikoto had once shared. She knew that the young redhead that shared the name of the First Hokage's wife, and that silver-haired girl that Naruto had…engineered?…had no qualm with her, and therefore had no continued reason to hold her, now that Naruto was gone.

But, try as she might, she couldn't understand why Naruto didn't torture or interrogate her, or why he didn't cause her any harm while keeping her captive. He even treated her reasonably well; she was certainly treated better than he would have been had he been Konoha's prisoner, and she certainly wouldn't have made any attempt at all to make his imprisonment more bearable. What made the least sense to her, however, was why he even made sure she was out of harm's way before he destroyed everything and himself. None of this made any sense against the backdrop of what she knew…no, what she thought she knew…about him.

'_He's a monster…that's what Minato-kun always told us…'_ she thought to herself, sadness and anger beginning to make themselves known, _'…he said that the seal Sarutobi applied, at the cost of his own life, no less, had partially failed, and that Kyuubi's influence over him would only increase over time, making him more and more unbalanced as he got older. He said that the best thing to do would be to try to avoid forming bonds with him, because as Kyuubi's influence would grow, any bond I have with him might put me in danger, and it would also keep me from doing what might need to be done in time if we ever had to kill him to allow his poor, tortured soul to be put to rest.'_

Her thoughts continued as she worked and labored within her mind to try to put the puzzle together, _'He said that all Naruto would be good for would be as a weapon for the village, because he wouldn't be capable of forming human bonds. He said that Naruto had to be subjugated so that he could at least do some good in his life for the people that he "must have wanted to love so much",_' she felt disgust and anguish at the very idea that almost seemed purposefully planted into her mind by her husband.

'_All the times I heard him crying, times when I wanted to go comfort him…times when I wanted to be there for him…but Kyuubi always seemed to exert its influence at those times,'_ when she thought of this, she couldn't help but remember that bloodthirsty killing intent given off by the youki cloak that erupted from Naruto's little body and formed around him. Seeing him that feral, with the thicker whisker marks and those red, slitted eyes; remembering it made her shiver.

'_And then Minato would always explain how Kyuubi was gaining more and more influence over him, that it was at those times it would be critical for me to ignore him so that the demon couldn't use my reactions to latch onto him. It seemed logical, and it all made sense to me…but then why did it always feel so wrong when I ignored him? And then, when he attacked Minato and the ANBU before he made his escape, Kyuubi was able to speak from within Naruto. I had thought that the two of them had become one and the same for a moment, until I heard Naruto actually responding to her, as though…they were still two separate people…demons…monsters…whatever…even if they did inhabit the same body,'_ she couldn't help but remember that day, the day that all of these questions and doubts arose about what she'd been told by Minato.

With the evidence that she had seen of Kyuubi's influence, and how he reacted when under it, she had become somewhat frightened, and while she never actively treated him wrongly, she never treated him very well either. Her fears could not be allayed due to her limited knowledge and abilities in fuinjutsu, either. While she was considered quite good with seals when compared to most shinobi, she would be considered sub-par for an Uzumaki; she knew some advanced sealing techniques, but seals as complex as the Shiki Fuin would be forever beyond both her reach and her understanding.

Realizing that she'd drawn all of the conclusions she could from remembering Naruto when he was still at home, she brought her thoughts to the present, replaying the events from when she had first come to Nami to retrieve Naruto until now. She had twisted Minato's arm to be the jounin in command of this mission; she needed to see Naruto so that she could hopefully have her doubts either confirmed or erased. The uncertainty of not knowing, magnified by what she'd read in the mission reports of Kakashi's squad, became unbearable. She needed to look Naruto in the eye; she wanted to capture him and talk to him. She couldn't believe she'd had to talk Minato out of ordering his ANBU to kill him, and not because he was a threat as a monster, but because he was a threat as a **genius**!

She was already having trouble containing her anger with those ANBU that went off and disobeyed her orders, burning the village and killing everyone in sight. Kushina hated things like that; she wasn't one to kill innocent people, or to even order such an atrocity, but in the chaos of their insubordination, she had little choice but to just allow it to happen. They had scattered to the four winds, and in the shape she was currently in, she knew she didn't have the speed to catch them. She would have had to settle for killing those ANBU after dealing with her son, but Naruto ended up doing that himself…not that she was complaining.

'_But why did Naruto settle for just capturing me? He didn't kill me; he didn't even hurt me. He didn't hurt Kana, either, according to Sasuke's and Sakura's reports. He had struck Kana down and knocked her unconscious, but _**Kana **_had attacked _**him**_, not the other way around. All Naruto really did when it comes down to it was defend himself. Granted, he crippled Kakashi, but Kakashi was the one who picked a fight with him as well, and from some of the things I'd heard that Kakashi had done to him as a child, he had that coming. Even when he destroyed his base, he gave orders to make sure that we were all out of harm's way, and that I even be allowed to return to Konoha, before he destroyed himself and his home. If I were in his place, I don't think I would have granted him such mercy; if he's a monster, how could he be so humane…and how could he claim to value his humanity and want to protect it?'_ she continued sifting through the facts in her own mind, still unable to reconcile the bigger picture.

Only one possibility seemed to present itself to Kushina at this point, _'Have I been lied to all this time? Have I been manipulated into isolating myself from Naruto? But if I've been lied to, then it's Minato who's been lying to me! But then…why? Why would he lie to me? And what other lies have I been told? Did his seal really fail in any way? Now that I think about it, other than Minato, I don't ever remember an incident where Naruto hurt anyone in Konoha growing up. I've never even heard of anyone reporting an attempt by Naruto to hurt them._'

As she recalled this little detail, the horror of the possibility that she was manipulated into staying away from her son began to gnaw at her. It seemed more and more plausible the more it seemed to stare her in the face. The fears that had been ingrained in her for years were still there, even if they weren't as strong. But those fears began to give way to her confusion, and they paled in comparison to the fear she was feeling that she had been manipulated into throwing her son to the wolves.

"I... I don't know what to think," she muttered to herself finding it too hard to think about.

_'No shit,' _stated an echoing voice that wasfrighteningly identical to her own.

"What was that?" asked Kushina, frantically looking around and seeing nothing, "Who's there?"

_'...And the winner for the _**smartest woman in the world goes to... well, not you…' **stated the voice sarcastically before becoming serious and annoyed, _'…you hear a voice, but see nothing... what does _**that tell you, princess?'**

"No, no, no, I don't have voices in my head," said Kushina, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

_'Yeah... was that supposed to make me go away?'_ questioned the voice calmly before continuing, **'Welcome to the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai's first and second trial. Today's lesson is…learning to think for yourself! The first trial is supposed to help you learn this, but I seriously doubt that you have any hope at all in passing it. The second trial…well, we'll get to that one if you pass this first one. Oh, and, err…dumbass? You really do look nuts if you're talking to yourself. I can hear you if you just think it,'** stated the voice seriously, yet sarcastically at the same time. Kushina came to the conclusion that whatever this voice was, it didn't like her.

_'If you're…part of my Kekkei Genkai, then…why are you popping up now? Shouldn't this have happened years ago?' _asked Kushina,surprised that not only was she hearing a voice in her head, but she was also engaging it in conversation.

_'Do _**all ninja from clans with kekkei genkai unlock them when they're children? No, they don't. If I know that, it means you do as well. Some Kekkei genkai have…requirements. And congratulations! You've met them tonight, just now,' **answered her other self sarcastically.

Now,Kushina was sure that this voice hated her guts as it continued, _'Right, well, I don't want to talk to you more than I have to, so here's this trial to figure out…deserter,' _stated the voice coldly, _'Uzumakis owe no allegiance to any country, any village, or any clan except their own. Several scenarios are going to pop up in your field of vision. Prove your loyalty to the clan and make it quick! I find even the idea of talking to you disgusting, and the quicker you are done, the sooner I can return to being a silent subconscious.'_

Kushina jumped as the first of these "scenarios" appeared before her. Two shinobi, dressed in the clothing, armor and symbols of Uzushiogakure were there in front of her, sitting around the campfire silently as they relaxed. She heard something, and turned in the direction of the noise to see a Konoha ANBU unsheathing his sword, preparing to attack the oblivious Uzushio ninja.

Kushina froze, not knowing what to do. Should she alert her two clansmen, or should she let the ANBU under her husband's command attack them? Before she could make up her mind, the ANBU jumped at the two Uzushio ninja, who both vanished from sight as the ANBU was embedded by spikes of earth as apparently one of the Uzushio ninja was sufficiently skilled in Doton ninjutsu.

The ANBU and the spikes vanished and Kushina saw…herself…appear in front of her and began to speak, her voice still carrying that ethereal echo, **"What you've just seen is a genetic memory from your ancestors. If your clansmen were not experts in shinobi tactics, their blood and their lives would have stained your hands. While the two lived, you gave them no warning, which means you betrayed the Uzumaki Clan."**

Kushina suddenly lurched forward as she felt something tear into her body.

"**Oops,"** said her other self with a smirk, "**I must have forgotten to mention…when you fail a test in a trial, your kekkei genkai is slowly destroyed. When it is completely destroyed...well, it's agonizingly painful…and a few other things; I certainly don't want to spoil the surprise. Now, here is another test…and for the record: I hope you fail this one, too," **she finished with cold anger.

"Why do you hate me so much? You're me!" stated Kushina, standing up angrily.

The other Kushina laughed as she disappeared, her voice still speaking as a presence in the air, _'Because you hate yourself. I said it before: I am your subconscious. I know everything about you…and then some. You can't hide anything from me; you also can't lie to me,'_ said the other Kushina's voice, sounding very amused.

Another scene made itself visible before Kushina's eyes. Kushina blinked a few times as she saw several shinobi, though these had no symbols from a village. They were most likely nuke-nin, or freelance shinobi. Then she saw Naruto and Kana standing opposite each other, with the group of ninja in between them.

'_Which do you save?'_asked Kushina's conscience with amused, almost-cruel curiosity, _'Which do you protect? Which do you care for? Because I'm feeling somewhat magnanimous right now, I'll give you some advice…don't take too long thinking it over. This isn't a genetic memory like the first one. What you're seeing is based on the actual memories you have of both of your children.'_

Kushina looked at both of her children, both Kana and Naruto. With what she knew now, she didn't know which one to protect. What would she base this decision on?

_'Why... why the hell are these so hard?'_ she asked herself, anguished almost to tears. She shook her head and went to charge the group of ninja, but stopped in her tracks and fell to her knees upon seeing that the ninja had already attacked while she was thinking. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, the end results of the battle made themselves known: Kana was lying dead on the ground, blood pooling around her while the ninja that had attacked Naruto were lying wounded but alive around him.

Naruto then turned to Kushina, looking her dead in the eye as he stated, "I feel sorry for Kana... to live with someone unable to save her."

Upon saying this, the nightmarish scene before Kushina also vanished. Kushina lurched forward again, almost vomiting as she felt the same pain as before going through her. When the pain and nausea passed, she stood up slowly.

Her other self appeared with her head shaking, **"Kana's such a spoiled little brat, isn't she? Always thinking she's stronger than everyone else because she was trained by the **_legendary_**Yondaime Hokage and knows…what…a handful of jutsu? Yes, she's unbeatable****…****"** stated her other self sarcastically, **"…but then there's Naruto…the child that was ignored…neglected…abused..."**Kushina cringed at that accusation and the ones that followed it,**"…abandoned…deserted…thrown away. Naruto, the one who trained on his own with help from no one, who was **_loved_**by no one. Though others try to****kill or capture him, he stays his hand from finishing what would possibly bless the world…but we both know****…****he'll snap sooner or later,****and the world will be much, much better off when that happens."**

"Why such…hard decisions? Why not at least give me an easy test?" asked Kushina, shaking in frustration, feeling helpless, useless…hopeless.

Her subconscious shrugged, _"_**This wouldn't be a trial for the right to keep your kekkei genkai if it was easy. You are not an Uzumaki by birth; you have to earn that privilege. That is what separates our clan from every other clan and allows it to thrive. How else would a single hidden village force three hidden villages to attack them? Uzushiogakure was stronger, better and smarter than any single hidden village! We both know that Uzushiogakure only lost because it lacked numbers; its shinobi were the best of the best, but against large numbers even the mightiest of soldiers will fall! Now, I actually hope you pass this next test, because it's the last test of the first trial. If you pass, you go to the second trial. If you don't…well,****I'll leave that to your imagination…she's around here somewhere," **she stated before vanishing again.

Her voice echoed once more, **'Oh, right! Be sure to make up your mind quickly on this test. I know you're slow but failing two tests because of it…that's just sad.'**

Kushina's head lowered both in anger and shame. She was ashamed at herself, or rather at the indecisive person she realized she'd become over the years. She was angry with her subconscious; she hated it for what it was currently putting her through, but she reluctantly accepted it. She didn't know why, or even how she knew, but she somehow know that what she was going through was necessary. She also knew that she couldn't run from it or do anything to get rid of her other self, so she had little choice but to accept the words that came from her hated subconscious, regardless of how much she disliked the idea.

Her subconscious began again, _'For this last test, I decided to get a little creative, so…have fun!' _she finished cheerfully.

As her voice died down, Minato and Naruto appeared in front of her. She already knew what this test would be, and she winced as flames covered everything around the two. It looked exactly like the village in Nami no Kuni. She saw blades slide out of her son's sleeves as her husband pulled out two kunai.

Naruto began, "Burning a village and killing innocents is unforgivable, and though, even now, I don't wish to kill you…it cannot be helped! You are a blight to these people, to this continent, and to this world…and I must take your life in punishment for your atrocities!"

He attacked Minato as he continued, "Death calls for you!"

Naruto's blades connected to the kunai, slowly slicing through them. Minato kicked Naruto off, formed a rasengan in his palm, and charged the younger blond, who took a defensive stance.

Kushina moved forward without even thinking. She didn't even know what her body was doing until the rasengan that was intended for Naruto hit her instead. She looked at Minato's face and saw that it was contorted in what looked like insane rage and shock. Looking below his face, she saw a blade stuck in his neck, blood flowing freely from the wound.

"You…you bitch…you…" he never finished as his eyes closed and he collapsed, breathing his last.

Kushina looked down to assess her own injuries, only to notice that the rasengan did nothing but tear up her clothes. It had apparently dissipated with Minato's injury, something she couldn't help but feel immense relief over, as she never wanted to be on the receiving end of such a destructive and dangerous jutsu. Her thoughts of relief were interrupted by what felt like a flick to the back of her head.

Annoyed, Kushina scowled and turned around…only to be wrapped into a loving embrace. She turned a bright red as she noticed it was Naruto hugging her, not knowing how to react to such an improbable…occurrence.

After a few seconds, he disappeared, but his voice could be heard with that same echoing quality that her other self possessed, "For once, you protected me…I always knew there was a great mom in there, somewhere!"

Her eyes welled up and she began to silently cry upon hearing Naruto's voice say such a thing. It was the first time she heard anything from him that sounded…nice.

_"__I'm not a great mom, Naruto…"_ she said out loud, tears filling her eyes, saddened as she thought of what her own failings and indecision had cost her estranged son, _"__…__if I had been, then I'm certain things would have been different between you and me. I don't even deserve to be called a parent after everything that's happened."_

"**Wow…" **stated her other self as she appeared once more, **"…honestly, I thought you'd protect that power-hungry, arrogant bastard," **she paused before nodding with approval and adding, _"_**I guess there's a mother in you after all. The choice between your lover and spouse, and the son that you've despised his entire life, and you chose the despised son. You'll have to forgive me if I'm still surprised; I expected you to be vomiting and reeling in pain for the next…two days. This was…unexpected, though not unwelcome; after all, I suppose even the most insane things do happen from time to time. Well…enjoy your life for now, princess…at least until it's time for the second trial."**

"But you said-"

"**Who's the subconscious, here?" **questioned her other self seriously. Kushina pointed at her as she responded, "**Exactly. What I say and do aren't always going to be the same. Besides, I'm still in shock over the last test and you need to rest. It won't do either of us any good if you're half-dead and some nuke-nin or something comes by and decides to play 'Rape the Redhead' now, will it? As your subconscious, I can't let that happen to you. I still have my morals, even if you don't."**

"Point taken," said Kushina, deciding it would be best to just agree with her subconscious for the moment. Around her, everything shimmered and vanished. She looked around after her vision became clearer, only to realize she was back in her little camp. Everything appeared normal and nothing had changed about it since she'd first heard her subconscious self talking to her. She looked down at her clothes to find them in perfect condition. She slumped down, resting her elbows on her knees, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"I'm starting to go insane," she muttered as she grabbed her head in both exhaustion and mild frustration. After a few minutes, she decided to simply lie down and sleep.

But before sleep overtook her, she heard that ethereal echoing voice that sounded so much like hers say one more thing to her, _'You've passed the first trial…but remember this, deserter: the trials are not yet over.'_

Little did Kushina know that she was being watched. Said observer carefully recorded the things he'd heard Kushina say onto a scroll, before the writing on that scroll turned into several small sparrows of ink that flew off in the direction of Konoha.

Sai continued to watch Kushina-dono, ensuring that she remained safe while she slept. He was certain that Danzo-sama would be very intrigued at Kushina's current emotional state. Oh yes…Danzo-sama would be very intrigued, indeed…

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Six Months Later

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Outside Konoha's western wall, a line of around one hundred incoming prisoners were being processed at a secret entrance that was used for such a purpose. Incoming prisoners would routinely be brought into the village through this entrance so that they could be directly escorted to ANBU Torture and Interrogation for immediate…torture and interrogation…before being taken to holding cells or shipped off to Konoha Strict Correctional Facility to share cells with criminals such as the Legendary Stupid Brothers. No sane shinobi wanted to go there, as it was one of Konoha's worst-kept secrets that Fujin and Raijin were serving life sentences for eating their own comrades simply because they were hungry. On top of that, if the reports were to be believed, many prisoners had a way of disappearing from time to time in that facility. Reports of human-sized bones being removed from Fujin's and Raijin's shared cell helped anyone who had any doubts as to what happened fill in the blanks. They were there not only serving their own sentences, but also as inmate population control. Minato Namikaze was truly an evil, sick bastard.

An ANBU squad was currently registering and processing the current line-up of prisoners that had been captured by routine ANBU patrols throughout Hi no Kuni: captured nuke-nin, bandits, and whoever the powers that be of Konohagakure decided was an obstacle to their agenda, whether actively or not. They were currently in a single-file line, being processed one at a time. In this particular line-up, however, was none other than Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. He was humming quietly to himself as they were moving forward steadily to be processed. Once he gave his name to the ANBU, he knew that he would be removed from the line and taken directly to his father, who would _have_ to come down and gloat over him. He smirked to himself – Minato-teme could gloat all he wanted. After all, he had let himself be captured so that he could get into Konoha without arousing suspicion or drawing undue attention to himself…and once his business here was all said and done, Minato would be the one made to look the fool, as well as feel like one.

He thought about what brought him to allow himself to be captured in the first place: Orochimaru had acquired some of his tech underneath the table, and that was something Naruto could not have. Konoha would do nothing good with such valuable tech, and even though Orochimaru was not in Naruto's league when it came to scientific genius, he was brilliant enough to be quite dangerous to the world at large if Naruto did nothing.

_'This is why I agree with Einstein: Technology truly is an axe, especially in the hands of those who would pervert it…and my old "sensei" is doing exactly that,'_ he thought, using the term "sensei" quite loosely, before being brought back to his surroundings by a pair of prisoners as they started arguing with each other over who got arrested on the more ridiculous and trumped-up charge.

"Stop your bitching, both of you!" started a nukenin angrily, stopping the two from arguing, "Can't you two idiots be like that guy over there, just humming and taking it in stride?"

"What are you humming about, boy?" one of the prisoners that was arguing asked Naruto, "We're going to prison, not some picnic."

Naruto shrugged with a care-free smile and replied, "I like to think of it as a…sociological field trip."

His care-free smile became an amused one as he finally got to the front of the line. He'd already had seals on him to seal his chakra, but what his captors hadn't counted on was that Naruto didn't need chakra for most of the techniques that he used, and he was more than strong enough without it to take on just about any opponent. He certainly wouldn't need it to break out of any jail cell or torture chamber they would put him in.

'_Ahh, what fools you monstrous shinobi are, believing that chakra is the in-all and end-all to being a powerful warrior; that belief will one day be your downfall,'_ he thought wistfully, almost giddy at being able to make complete fools of his old enemies, particularly Minato-teme and Orochi-teme.

"Name?" asked the Anbu in a matter-of-fact tone, bringing Naruto from his musings about the end of all ninja everywhere.

"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze," he said calmly, yet somewhat ostentatiously, looking at the Anbu with a pleasant, yet cocky smile as everyone around them froze in their spot. Nobody moved for several seconds, the silence becoming more and more deafening as each second went by.

"So…" Naruto began, breaking the silence, "…where's my cell?" he asked as casually as though discussing the weather. He suddenly felt a blow from behind before he lost consciousness.

XxxxxX

Naruto opened his eyes, slowly coming to. He felt a dull, throbbing ache in his neck, _'probably where they nailed me,'_ he thought to himself as he blinked a few times, trying to bring his vision into focus, and proceeding to look around the room to get his bearings. He was in a plain room with bare walls. It wasn't an ANBU interrogation room, as it didn't have the dingy feel of one of those. The walls and the ceiling were white, and as he looked down, he noticed the floor was white as well. Looking down also brought into his vision that he was in a chair, and bound if the fact that he couldn't move his arms and legs was any indicator. He finally brought his gaze to the front of the room…only to see the most unpleasant face he could ever imagine seeing. He frowned upon seeing the face of the man who had been responsible for providing the male half of the DNA. Beside him was an ANBU with what appeared to be a Hawk's mask.

"Well…" Naruto began smugly, "…you're still as unsightly as ever. Put a bag over your head; I don't want to see your mug so soon after waking up," he stated, looking at the Yondaime Hokage.

He wasn't quite sure where he was, but he was certain that he wasn't in an ANBU interrogation room. He wasn't surprised; after all, he had helped improve the ANBU's interrogation chambers before he left Konoha, so they probably thought that he would know the inner workings of them better than they did, themselves.

"I'll consider it…when I'm dead and you're a pet to Kana, you little bastard," said Minato just as smugly, with a smirk that was just as smug, but with an extraordinarily angry glare.

"You know, you really look insane when you do that…thought you'd like to know…" Naruto offered.

"So, all these years you've managed to elude us…and now, you're here just like a little wrapped present. I suppose this is the best present I could ever get, especially when I see you're alive and breathing."

"So backing up to the whole 'bastard' bit…that would refer to me as being…fatherless, or at least, illegitimate…and unless you're just a figment of my imagination, you'd be incorrect in your statement…" said Naruto, smirking at his father before adding, "…unless, of course, you're really not my father…and the real reason you hate me is because my real father was better in the sack than you ever were…"

Minato interrupted Naruto's taunts with a hard right to his mouth, causing his head to get knocked back and then to whip back down. Naruto spat blood before slowly raising his head and looking at Minato, who, while still smirking, seemed to be getting angrier if his glare was anything to go by.

Naruto smiled smugly as he continued, "Well…I must have hit pretty close to the mark to get you that upset…" Naruto chuckled before finishing, "…say what you want, then get out and let someone do their job…if you think anyone in this village had what it takes to get anything out of me."

"Oh, I won't be going anywhere, oh, son of mine…" Minato responded before Naruto interrupted him.

"'Son of mine'? What happened to 'bastard'? I think I preferred that idea…" Minato interrupted Naruto with his fist again, this time delivering a hard right hook to the left side of his face.

"You see…Naruto…" Minato continued, his smug smirk in place as he decided just to use his name, "…I'll be taking a very proactive role in your interrogation, today. I haven't had a chance to have this kind of fun in a while, and I must tell you – I'm really looking forward to breaking you. But…I'll give you a little promise: If you're a good little pet and you do as I say, you won't be harmed…" replied Minato firmly, before his smug, arrogant smirk returned, "…I'm really hoping that you won't be a good, little pet."

As he finished, he smacked Naruto's face with each uttered word of the phrase "good little pet"; not hard enough to cause physical pain, but enough to let Naruto know just how much he was looking down his nose at him.

"Come on, oh, dear old dad of mine…" Naruto responded mirthfully, "…why do you feel the need to have fun with little old me? Kushina kick you out of the bedroom again because of a limp noodle?"

This time Minato slugged him hard enough to knock his chair over. Naruto just spat the blood out of his mouth from the cuts opening up inside it once more before chuckling once again. Naruto heard Minato uttering the name of a Doton jutsu that he had never heard before. Minato then grabbed him by the hair, and pulled Naruto and the chair upright by said hair.

"Perform the jutsu," Minato ordered the ANBU in the room, who responded by uttering the name of a Raiton jutsu; again, one that Naruto had never heard before. As he did this, the ANBU placed a finger to Naruto's forehead. When the ANBU made contact, Naruto immediately felt every sensation in his body more acutely: he could feel the beating of his own heart, he could feel the blood rushing through every vessel in his body, he could feel the contents of his guts and bowels as they were encased by those organs. With this, he could also feel the tightness of his bindings that much more acutely as well, and the cuts in his mouth seemed to hurt with ten times the intensity of his previous injuries.

Any smugness gone from his face, Minato began to explain, "Now…Naruto…the jutsu that Hawk, here, just used on you is a Raiton jutsu designed to sensitize the body's nerve endings so that anything you feel is at least ten times sharper than normal. You can imagine how useful it is in a torture session when the body feels pain at ten times normal intensity. I've also activated a little Doton jutsu that allows me to make my fists as hard as steel, so that when I hit you, it'll be like getting hit with a sledgehammer, and not a fist. And the last trick that we're really dying to use on you…is a Doton jutsu, once again devised by none other than our resident lovable mad genius, Orochimaru…that allows us to send Doton chakra into your body, similar to the way a Hyuuga would use the Jyuuken, but it doesn't require such precise and fine control. It enables us to apply blunt-force trauma to your internal organs without having to get past pesky obstacles, first…you know, such as bones and muscles."

Naruto gave him a mocking smirk once again, "Hmm…sounds like fun! When do we get started?"

Any amusement that Minato had felt was now replaced with an enraged grimace, "We'll see just who has more 'fun' when this little session is over!"

"Well, OK…but I have to warn you…" he added with a laugh before finishing, "…I don't swing **that** way!"

Naruto broke out laughing while Minato completely lost his temper and began striking Naruto over and over again with his fists. Naruto felt agonizing pain with every blow. Bones could be heard cracking; all over Naruto's body, enormous welts and swelling started to appear, along with gashes and lacerations that bled freely. Then came the jutsu that Minato talked about sending Doton chakra into the body. Naruto could feel bones shattering, he could feel blood-vessels rupturing and tearing themselves apart, he could feel every minute detail of the severe internal damage taking place inside his body…but to his credit, Naruto never stopped laughing, nor did he cry out in pain…even one time.

Minato grabbed Naruto's hair and pulled his head up before drawing near to his ear and whispering menacingly, "I don't know if you recognize just where you are, but in case you need a refresher: this is Konoha's R&D Facility, specifically…Orochimaru's most secure lab. We'll see just how amused you are once Orochimaru gets back to the village. He's been…itching…to try out some additional toys on live **specimens**. Seeing as you're good for nothing else to Konoha, right now…I'm looking forward to seeing just what his twisted mind has cooked up just for you."

As Minato pulled back, Naruto, still chuckling and smiling, spat a huge wad of blood right into Minato's face. Minato, enraged once more, began to form a Rasengan in his hand. He moved towards Naruto, ready to shred his head with the jutsu, only to be held back by Hawk.

"Hokage-sama, please, that's enough; you'll kill him if you use Rasengan on his head like that, and I know you still want him alive," Hawk said, trying to calm Minato down.

Minato closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, forcibly calming himself before turning to Hawk and issuing additional orders, "Bring me a steel bar or something. I need to…vent a little frustration…"

With a tone that sounded as though a sadistic grimace was accompanying it, Hawk said, "Right away, sir. I'll see if I can find one with a few barbs on it."

Minato smirked, "Thank you, Hawk. You always were one of my more thoughtful ANBU."

Hawk just nodded before leaving the room. After a few moments, he reentered the room, a wooden club in his hands. On the head of the club were a few nails hammered about halfway in. Minato thanked Hawk for the weapon as he took it, and shortly after, he started pummeling Naruto with it. Naruto's face and body became near-unrecognizable after the nails had snagged onto so much skin that it seemed to flay off of his face and body in ribbons, exposing tender flesh underneath. Naruto, once more, didn't give him the satisfaction of a single painful grimace. He kept laughing through it all, even to the point when Minato had literally beaten him within an inch of his life. His chair having fallen over once more as Minato beat Naruto, as he was losing consciousness once more, he saw Hawk holding Minato back again.

"Remember what I said about killing him, sir," Hawk reminded in another effort to ensure that his Kage didn't lose himself to his rage and do something that he would regret later, such as destroying a useful and powerful weapon for the village.

Minato closed his eyes once more, taking several deep breaths again to calm himself before turning to leave the room.

Naruto heard Minato giving Hawk instructions as he started feeling himself begin to fade, "Leave him chained to that chair. No food, no water, no visitors except myself, Orochimaru or Danzo, is that clear?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," replied the ANBU sharply before following Minato out of the room. Naruto didn't even hear the door close before unconsciousness claimed him once more.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

When Naruto woke up next, it was to a different feeling, this one warm and comforting; it was very unfamiliar to him. Unable to open one eye because it had apparently swelled so badly, he opened his other to see what he thought was a hand coated in green moving in a slow and deliberate manner around his torso. His sight was still too blurry to make out any details. He followed the arm connected to the hand to see a blurry mass of black, with gray around it – he guessed that it was an ANBU uniform. He could make out what looked like a mane of red hair surrounding a pale face. As his vision cleared, he recognized the face of none other than Kushina Namikaze!

"Wh…" he began, his voice still weak, his breathing labored as even to speak was an effort, "…what do you…think you're doing?"

"I'm giving you what first aid I can, and I'm helping you get out of here…" she responded matter-of-factly, though her voice was strained, as though she was trying to keep it from breaking. Naruto looked at her in confusion before seeing the tell-tale signs of crying: bloodshot eyes and puffy, swollen cheeks with tear stains running down them.

"Why?" he asked, again in a labored manner.

"Let's just say that since we last saw each other, I've had a chance to see just what kind of monster Minato Namikaze is, and leave it at that…" Kushina said as she continued to apply what Naruto now knew to be medical ninjutsu to him.

"Why should I trust you?" he asked once more, his voice becoming stronger as he felt his energy returning.

"OK, that's fair…" she answered as she continued working, not offended in the least, and taking Naruto by surprise, "…listen, since you left here six years ago, things have been getting stranger and stranger in this village. Things haven't been adding up, and I have some questions that I need answered. We don't have time for further explanations right now; this place will be swarming with ANBU within fifteen minutes. I promise that I'll answer any questions you have once we're safely away from here. Can you at least trust me that far?"

Naruto looked doubtful before Kyuubi's voice could be heard by the two of them, **"Naruto, I don't think she's lying."**

Kushina couldn't have been more surprised if you had told her she had really been born a boy. Kyuubi, the evil, demonic, monstrous entity that she had hated and feared all her life…was **vouching** for her?

"What?" asked Naruto, as surprised as Kushina was.

"**I was sealed into her for a good twenty years before being sealed into you, and I came to know her very well in that time. She's not lying, cutie…and I think she's probably our best bet at getting out of here, right now."**

Naruto turned his gaze back to Kushina, who was still stunned, before nodding, "OK. I'll trust you that far…but be warned, if you betray me…"

"I won't…" Kushina responded as tears began to flow.

"**Naruto, I'm about to give you a large dose of chakra so that the most immediate and dangerous of your injuries can close up enough so you can move. After that, you can do what we're here to do and we can leave."**

"I'm ready…" Naruto began, but Kushina interrupted.

"Wait a minute, what are you here to do?" she asked apprehensively.

"I'm here to get my stuff back. Orochimaru somehow acquired a lot of tech that belongs to me. I know that he has no good intentions for its use, and that's just not acceptable to me. I'm here to take my tech, and destroy the rest of his research so that he can't reproduce it."

"But…"

"**Kushina, get Naruto something to bite down on!" **Kyuubi ordered urgently. Kushina just shook her head and complied, pulling her katana off her back, sheath and all. She offered the leather strap to Naruto, who bit down on it without a word before red chakra flooded forth from his body, causing him to close his eyes and groan in pain.

After a minute or so, Naruto's pain stopped, and the red chakra receded into his body. Kushina quickly unsheathed her katana and sliced through the chains holding Naruto to his chair with the finesse of a master swordswoman. Naruto slumped forward out of his chair, almost hitting the floor, but for Kushina running to his side and catching him, assisting him to his feet.

"You're asking me to trust you…" Naruto began, "…well, trust is a two-way street. What I'm doing, it's best for the world as a whole. You said you know what kind of man Minato is…what do you think he'll do with the kinds of things that my tech would enable him to do? Besides, I didn't just come here to liberate my tech…"

Naruto began to move towards the door, Kushina taking the hint and assisting him while Naruto continued, "Orochimaru also has a few…specimens, is what he'd call them, but what they really are is abductees that are being forced to serve as guinea pigs for his own inhumane experiments."

"And what, you've never inhumanely experimented on anyone before?" Kushina asked smartly.

Naruto growled in annoyance as he suddenly found the strength to stand on his own two feet, grab Kushina by the throat and slam her against the wall. Looking into his eyes, Kushina became frightened at the anger she saw there.

"Listen, and listen good…" Naruto growled out in cold fury, "…you don't know me. You've never cared enough to try to…so don't you dare even think to judge me! I have no qualms about leaving you here to rot, so don't test my patience! Who the hell do you think you are? You **married** the monster, you didn't **birth** one, and if I am a monster, I'm only what people like you and Minato-teme have made me into!"

Kushina's eyes widened at his accusations as tears started flowing once again. As Naruto let go of her throat, she took a few moments to cough and catch her breath. Naruto had already started moving forward before he lurched, holding his arms at his sides across his stomach and almost collapsing. Kushina quickly ran up to him and caught him again, bringing his arm around her shoulders in a fireman's assist while helping him walk in his intended direction.

"You're right, Naruto. I'm sorry, I was out of line in what I said; please forgive me," Kushina said as she continued assisting him in forward motion.

"Well, as long as you bear that in mind, we won't have any further problems…" he responded as they continued moving forward.

"There they are!" they both heard a voice yell from behind them. They both turned around only to see two ANBU going limp, each falling face-down to reveal a tanto in their backs. They brought their gaze back up to see another ANBU, but this one looked different.

"I see you received my message, Kushina-dono. I apologize for the two of them, as they had escaped my notice. I am here to assist you and Naruto-san in whatever it is you are here to do, and to guide you immediately to Danzo-sama once you are finished. He has some information, and an offer, that the two of you should find rather beneficial," the ANBU said in an emotionless voice.

"What's your name?" asked Naruto.

"You may call me Sai…" the now-identified Sai responded, "…and I have been instructed by Danzo-sama to assist you in any manner possible Naruto-san. If Kushina-dono hadn't extracted you from your cell, I would have done so in her place. My master would rather have you as an ally than as an enemy. But time runs short. I have bought us probably an extra half-hour, but we need to do what you came to do quickly so that we can escape from here. I can guide you through a secret escape route to Danzo-sama's headquarters."

Naruto thought for a moment before nodding, "Well, what do we have to lose at this point?"

Kushina looked at him as though he grew a second head. He ignored her and addressed their new companion for the time being, "Sai, do you have any explosive notes on you?"

"I can make as many as you need, Naruto-san," Sai responded.

"OK, then…I'm going to need you to make about fifty. Can you do that in the next five minutes?"

"Of course," Sai responded, using his special ink-ninjutsu to create the tags that Naruto asked him for.

"That's pretty handy," Naruto commented as he nodded approvingly before turning his attention to Kushina, "OK, I know where we are, now. Orochimaru's office should be dead ahead."

"Wait, you've been here before?" asked Kushina as she helped him move forward.

"That's a long story…" he answered, somehow not surprised that she didn't know what had happened to him while he still lived here, "…and one best left for when we have our little chat, later."

Once they got to the door that Naruto specified, Naruto kicked it in, splintering the door before groaning in pain at the action he just took.

"Naruto…" Kushina began, only to be interrupted by Naruto.

"There isn't time for anything else. We need to start going through these files and taking anything of particular interest."

"Define 'particular interest'," said Kushina dubiously.

"You'll know when you find it," Naruto answered her, immediately leaving her side and stumbling through the office, pulling open drawers and poring through anything he could find. Sai and Kushina immediately started doing the same. Within moments, Orochimaru's desk had been emptied, and Naruto had set an explosive note underneath the desktop. Naruto was disappointed that he'd found nothing of interest in the desk. He proceeded to several shelves and cabinets along the walls and peered inside. What he saw in there was definitely of particular interest.

"Sealing scrolls of my own design…someone's collecting my inventions. Fitting, he was always obsessed with new things," said Naruto, taking a few of them. He walked back over to the equipment, removed the tag from the desk and opened the scroll.

"Break limiters, seal all in sight," he ordered the scroll. The scroll complied, sucking in all of the equipment and papers that had not yet been removed from any cabinets. Both Sai and Kushina looked at him, confused.

Seeing their confusion, he explained, "These scrolls are my own design. Normally they have a capacity limit on them so as not to corrupt anything they store, but in situations such as this, I can break the limiter and seal anything I wish. It's convenient for when time is a factor, but it runs its risks – what gets stored in here might not come out in as good a shape as it went in."

Naruto sifted through several more cabinets and looked in them. He found several odd files and removed them from the cabinet, then he set them on the cabinet.

"Hmm…what's this? Oh, a new drug," he said as he opened a folder to see what was in it.

Reading through the documentation, he commented to himself, "So, he doesn't completely have jutsu on the brain; could have fooled me."

When he got to the specifics of the drug, and its purposes, applications and side-effects, he stopped skimming and started reading through it very purposefully…

_Name: Drive_

_Effects: Personality alteration in all subjects, at least on a temporary basis. Marked increases in killer instinct and aggression. Is able to awaken dormant kekkei genkai and draw out latent abilities in most subjects. In some cases, produces extreme tendencies towards violence, to the point where the subject can become homicidal._

_Side-effects: Prolonged use requires drug to be taken consistently. If subject stops taking Drive, subject loses mental cognition and sanity. Also suffers intense pain before expiring._

_Notes: If subject is not prone to violent tendencies, their body will reject the drug after consistent, prolonged use. Subject suffers intense pain, particularly in the brain. Body of test subject Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze was the first to reject Drive after prolonged use when injected in order to bring him to emotional instability so that Kyuubi youki could be forcibly drawn out._

"Kushina," stated Naruto in a dark, matter-of-fact tone, looking in her direction. Kushina, wincing as he said her name instead of calling her 'kaa-san', nonetheless turned her gaze towards him.

"You might want to take a look at this," he said, just as darkly, offering her the file, while he picked up another.

The other file that Naruto picked up had a few more details concerning certain goings-on in the Namikaze family before Naruto saw fit to flee. As he read, he muttered in shock, "Holy System…this explains…_a lot_," he growled angrily.

"What does?" asked Kushina.

"This!" exclaimed Naruto, handing the file to Kushina without taking his furious glare from the floor. Kushina, have already been shocked at the contents of the first file, couldn't believe what she was reading in the second. It was all there; this was one of the master files of a project designed to keep Naruto isolated through the controlled and intentional use of Drive to force him to tap into Kyuubi's youki! Dates of injections, details of seals applied by Minato to keep the drug dormant until such a time that it would be prudent to activate it. Dates of forced activation…seeming to coincide with certain dates that Kushina remembered wanting to pick her little boy up, only to be blasted back as Kyuubi's youki forced itself out of him. Minato's claim that Naruto's seal partially failed…none of it was true! All of it – Kushina's fear of and distance toward Naruto, Kana's abuse and mistreatment of him…wait a minute, what part did Danzo of all people play in this project?

Apparently, he had the responsibility of having some of his own ROOT personnel keep any eye on the family so that they could immediately alert Minato as to when to activate the Drive in Naruto's body. There were also some notes on the ultimate rejection of Drive by his body – it was the day he left! He had apparently not gotten out unscathed, and Orochimaru had been able to obtain at least a partial blood sample to test – he found that the drug was destroyed in his system. Even when he injected more Drive into the blood sample, the blood itself, still having some chakra of its own, immediately started breaking down the drug, but not without reacting violently to it, first. Kushina gasped, let the file fall from her fingers and brought her hands to her mouth, tears falling from her eyes. She looked at Naruto, who was still looking at the ground.

"Naruto, I…I don't know what to say…"

"We can talk about it, later," he cut her off, bringing his gaze up, his own eyes furious yet focused on the task at hand. Kushina simply nodded.

They all left the room, Naruto apparently forgetting that he was still severely injured as he doubled over in pain once more. Kushina and Sai both got onto either side of him and assisted him as they moved to a nearby door. Naruto recognized this as the door that lead to Orochimaru's side lab where he kept most of his experiments. They entered the room, Naruto grimacing upon seeing it again.

Though he didn't want to do it, he turned the lights on, allowing all of them to see the room. Kushina and Sai promptly closed their eyes at what they saw before they both lurched forward and emptied the contents of their stomachs. Naruto found himself surprised that a ROOT operative could be sickened by anything, though Sai couldn't be any more than thirteen years old, and Naruto himself shrugged at the sight and smell of the lab, he'd seen the room before years ago, it wasn't much different than now. After a few minutes, his companions opened their eyes and looked at the experiments throughout.

Naruto walked by a large tank and shook his head with sadness and anger, "Did he _really_ have to cut open this person and stick them in a large tank filled with…what is this crap, anyway? It doesn't look like embalming fluid or anything used to stay blood…I suppose I'd rather not find out," he muttered to himself as he pulled the switch to allow whoever was in the tank to finally die.

"May your life be better after death," he offered to the soul of the mutilated corpse before turning around to the operating tables. Most of them were covered with cadavers, tools and probes sticking out of them, which didn't surprise him. Orochimaru was never particularly patient with failed experiments.

He noticed a living body manacled down on one of the tables: a young woman with an odd device next to her. He walked over to her and picked the device up, inspecting it.

"It's made from my tech, that's evident…but what exactly is it and what does it do?" he questioned, staring at it oddly. Thinking about how this could have happened, he made a few resolutions to pay much greater attention to not only his inventory, but also the size of the orders that he receives. One thing was certain: Konoha would no longer be allowed to purchase any tech from him!

"My Seraph's need to make slightly more detailed reports when things go missing from factories, or when a hidden village starts ordering too much," Naruto said to himself, but loudly enough for his companions to hear. He then proceeded to inspect the device in his hands again, as he mused that knowing what this thing could be would be helpful. He didn't see its purpose, but he really wanted to find out, since it _was_ built from his tech, and Kami only knew what Orochimaru was using it for! This wouldn't happen again – he would see to that.

He touched the young woman. Her skin was cold, frozen; he didn't even feel a pulse. Something was…strange, yet familiar about her, but he couldn't place it.

"Orochimaru doesn't play around with corpses, he likes…living experiments," he muttered, confused…then he realized something and stared at the device.

"He's…actually created it? That bastard reverse-engineered something he's never even seen and possibly without even knowing it?" Naruto asked, amazed at what Orochimaru had been able to do.

Kushina made her confusion known, "Naruto, do you know what all of this is?"

Naruto continued muttering to himself, trying to work out exactly what needed to be done in this situation, "…but things are wrong with this, and even then, without mana, it's impossible for it to completely work. Her body would destroy itself without a full conversion…and she doesn't have the additions that I've made with System and Mito. If I don't take her back to home base, she'll die," Naruto brought himself out of his ramblings and gave Kushina and Sai his full attention.

With a stony grimace, he announced, "She's coming with us!"

Kushina balked, "What?"

Naruto pulled out another sealing scroll and began to open it. Kushina began to object, "Wait a minute…Naruto, you're not…"

"She in a state of suspended animation, Kushina," Naruto interrupted her, "Right now, she's a hair's breadth away from death, and I'm not in any real condition to carry her all the way to my home base, so this is the only way to do it. Don't worry, she won't come to any harm; I haven't broken this seal's capacity limiter, and I'm not going to seal anything else in a scroll with a live body in it."

He opened the scroll and ordered, "Seal," this time the scroll blipped a few times before emitting a beam of light that swept across the entirety of the table on which the woman lay. Once the table was scanned, the seal glowed, and the woman's body disappeared. At the same time, additional writing appeared on the scroll, indicating a successful transfer.

"Naruto-san, Kushina-dono…" Sai said, after remaining silent for several minutes, "…we must depart, posthaste."

"You're right, Sai," Naruto responded, "OK, let's start laying some explosive notes around this area."

They posted several explosive notes around the lab, and throughout the corridors as Sai guided them to an area of the compound that Naruto had never before been to. They stopped at a particular patch of wall before Sai touched the wall and channeled several pulses of chakra into it, in a particular rhythm and at varying rates and speeds. Naruto was reminded of a combination lock when he saw this. When Sai was done, the wall disappeared and revealed a darkened stone corridor with track lighting, almost like a bunker.

They heard the sounds of rushing forces in the distance, including what sounded like Minato's voice giving orders to have the intruders found and captured alive. They all quickly entered the corridor and let the wall re-materialize.

After they had gotten about one hundred yards down the passage, Naruto addressed Sai, "You know…now might be a good time for Orochimaru's lab to go boom."

Sai simply gave…was that a smile?

"I like the way you think, Naruto-san," Sai responded in what could almost be called admiration were it not for the flatness of his tone, as he then molded his chakra, and off in the distance, they could hear stream after stream of explosions, followed by the yells of those who were dying as a result of either blood loss or severe burns. Naruto idly wondered whether or not the Hokage was able to get out of the blast area…he probably was, what with that blasted Hiraishin and all. But, again, there would be time to ponder all of that, later.

Sai and Kushina continued to assist Naruto as they walked through the corridor and out into a series of larger corridors. Sai helped them navigate their way through the complex while Naruto and Kushina simply followed his lead. When they finally got to one particular door, Sai took his leave of them and disappeared in a shunshin of ink.

As Kushina opened the door and dragged Naruto into the room, she stopped in her tracks as she looked forward, causing Naruto to do the same. There, sitting calmly in front of the pair, was none other than Danzo Shimura himself, looking calmly at the two of them through his single uncovered eye, two ROOT operatives standing behind him, one on each side. Kushina leaned Naruto against the wall to the left of the door, not taking her eyes off of the old warhawk.

"Good afternoon, Kushina-dono, young Naruto-san…" he greeted them plainly, nodding his head at them, "…I am glad that Sai was able to guide you, here safely. Naruto-san, I have been trying to capture your attention for quite some time, and I must confess that it has been a most troublesome endeavor."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A/N: Look, a cliffhanger xD. There we go. Enjoy.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: And here's the next chapter... yeah it's out sooner than I expected as well but I had a brain fart so... yeah. I've got no other excuse. -_-

Now, this chapter was done by ncpfan, so praise him for this chapter ^^

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As Kushina opened the door and dragged Naruto into the room, she stopped in her tracks as she looked forward, causing Naruto to do the same. There, sitting calmly in front of the pair, was none other than Danzo Shimura himself, looking calmly at the two of them through his single uncovered eye, two ROOT operatives standing behind him, one on each side. Kushina leaned Naruto against the wall to the left of the door, not taking her eyes off of the old warhawk.

"Good afternoon, Kushina-dono, young Naruto-san…" he greeted them plainly, nodding his head at them, "…I am glad that Sai was able to guide you here safely. Naruto-san, I have been trying to capture your attention for quite some time, and I must confess that it has been a most troublesome endeavor."

Naruto looked at the man quizzically before his eyes went wide with realization, "You placed the huge order to my factories…because you knew it would bring me here to investigate!"

Danzo smiled knowingly and nodded, both in affirmation and in appreciation of Naruto's remarkable deductive powers, "Indeed, I did, my boy. Even as sharp as they say you are, your reputation for genius is still grossly underestimated. I did in fact place that order on behalf of both Orochimaru and Minato, but I requested far more than they wanted, and I have the surplus in storage. It was time for you and I to meet face to face, as there were a few things that I needed to discuss with you. I was able to find you shortly after you supposedly destroyed yourself, but I did not wish to antagonize you by approaching you unannounced, or by indicating to you that I knew of your whereabouts and giving you reason to believe that you could be attacked by Konoha. I believed that the best way for me to make contact with you would be to do something that would bring you to Konoha, and hence, to me."

Naruto nodded in appreciation at the man before him, "Very well-planned and executed, Danzo-san. Well, I'm here, now, so…what can I do for you?"

Kushina, however, began to glare at Danzo with rage as she drew her katana and adopted a combative stance, "Danzo, you were one of the people involved in the scheme to isolate me from my son! Give me a reason why we should listen to anything you say and not just kill you for that, here and now!"

As Danzo's guards adopted a stance of their own, Danzo raised an arm and ordered, "Stand down."

The guards immediately followed his instructions and responded in a single dead-pan voice, "Yes, Danzo-sama."

Kushina, however, had not relaxed her stance. Danzo looked at her and spoke, "There is no need for hostility or violence Kushina-dono, I assure you. Neither my men nor I will attack you or your son. After all, it was I who sent word to you of both Naruto's presence here and his whereabouts. It was I who gave the order to make sure your path was clear when you extracted him from Orochimaru's headquarters. It was I who ordered ROOT to stall our dear, beloved Hokage and his own ANBU while Naruto exacted his purposes within Orochimaru's labs. I also know that there is information that you seek concerning the 'scheme' you mentioned that only I can provide. In fact, I've taken the liberty of preparing it for the two of you."

He indicated the stack of files and notebooks on his desk, "These documents contain all of the information that I possess concerning this project, which was to be kept in such secrecy that it wasn't even given a name, though I referred to it as 'Operation Living Weapon'. These are both my own records, and all of the surveillance notes that ROOT has gathered and kept concerning the Namikaze family and Naruto's episodes, as well as the records kept in the Hokage's own files. There is also quite a bit in there of certain events and plans leading up to 'Operation Living Weapon'."

"Kushina's never had a good relationship with me, Danzo-san…" Naruto began, "…what made you believe that she would help me in any way? Why get her involved in all this?" Naruto asked curiously.

Danzo answered, "If you must know, I prefer to know all that goes on in this village, particularly with certain people of importance, which is why I always have eyes and ears both within the village and without. Suffice to say, my sources reported to me that Kushina began to have a change in perspective towards you very shortly after you let her go before destroying your home. I'm sure she can fill you in on the details, but I have monitored the situation in the months since, and I believed her change to be genuine. Of course, I had a contingency plan in place if it was not, and you would have been released from your confinement and invited here, regardless."

"OK, so…why help us?" it was Naruto who spoke up, suspicion evident in his question.

Danzo simply nodded, "As hard as this might be for either of you to believe, I have always acted with what I believe to be this village's best interests in mind. I helped your father and Orochimaru, Naruto-san…" Danzo turned to him as he spoke, "…because I believed that having a living weapon who wasn't prone to extreme bouts of emotion would serve the village well, not only as a deterrent to our enemies attacking us, but also for affording us the opportunity to go on the offensive, should we desire to."

Danzo paused before continuing, taking on both Naruto's and Kushina's reactions. Naruto simply seemed to be absorbing the facts that he was being given, while Kushina seemed to be anguished at the realization that what was in Orochimaru's files was in fact true, and that she had indeed been manipulated into isolating herself from her son.

Danzo continued, "However, while I have no qualms in admitting that my methods are…ruthless, I do not derive any pleasure from the pain that I inflict on others the way your power-hungry father does."

"And you're not power-hungry?" asked Naruto in a doubtful tone.

"There is a difference between being power-hungry and being ambitious, young Naruto-san. I seek power, yes, as a means to acquire certain ends, chief among those being Konoha's continued security and prosperity. I also seek to ensure that my emotions are tightly reined in and kept under control to my sense of reason and logic, so that I do not act on foolish emotional whims. I do what I believe must be done, no more, no less. When you were here, I acted in the manner that I believed to be in the best interests of the village. Likewise, when you had fled, I did the same. All this time, I've always known exactly where you were, and also had at least a general idea of what you were doing. I've also been running interference all this time against Jiraiya's own spy network to keep him from finding out where you were. After reading through the reports I'd received over the years as to your actions and movements, I decided that I should leave you be, and wait to make myself known to you once the time was right."

Naruto nodded, prompting him to continue, "Our esteemed Hokage, on the other hand, seeks power simply for the sake of having power, as having power intoxicates him. He is also a zealot, believing himself to be above judgment or the law, and believing his own agenda supercedes anyone or anything else. Minato actually enjoys doing things that would cause pain to anyone he considers an enemy. Case in point, the events that happened in Nami no Kuni six months ago: he reveled in giving his ANBU the order to burn that village and slaughter every man, woman and child within it…simply because he wanted to cause you pain. Part of his motive was to draw you out, but he would have issued the order even had you not been there, simply because you cared for people in that village. I will order slaughter if I deem it necessary to accomplish a higher goal, but I will not order it needlessly, nor do I condone slaughter that has no purpose."

Danzo continued, "And now, as many of us in this village have learned just how intelligent, and how great a warrior you are, I have great respect for you as a man, as probably the first true equal I would ever acknowledge, and especially as someone who should not be taken lightly. I would prefer to have you as an ally, or at the very least as a neutral acquaintance, rather than as a thorn in my side at best, and a dire threat to me and my own goals at worst. While ambitious, I am certainly no fool, and only fools like Minato or Orochimaru would deliberately make an enemy out of someone such as you…Naruto-san."

Naruto thought about Danzo's words before nodding approvingly and giving a grim yet satisfied smile, "Well, Danzo-san, I will concede the point about the difference between hunger for power and ambition. I'll also say this about you: your honesty and your "reasonable", if not necessarily "noble", sense of purpose, puts you several notches above pretty much everyone else in this village, in my book. Very well, then; I'll consider the two of us at a truce for now, with the possibility of us maybe being allies in the future," Danzo nodded in acknowledgment.

"Kushina…" Naruto said, turning to his mother.

Kushina turned to her son, who responded, "The files?" he indicated the stack on Danzo's desk.

Kushina slowly went to retrieve the stack, Danzo and his two guards staying where they were, making no movements to stop or hinder her at all. Once she retrieved the files, she stepped away and continued looking at the old man in suspicion, "So, you're just going to let us take these and go?"

Danzo nodded before adding, "In fact, I'll do even better than that. Torune?"

"Yes, Danzo-sama?" asked the ROOT agent to Danzo's left.

"Bring Yuriko to me," he ordered.

"At once, my lord!" Torune responded, before disappearing to bring the aforementioned individual. Moments later, Torune reappeared with a tall, well-figured young woman with straight and silky dirty-blonde hair in a high pony tail and ending at her lower back. She also had sparkling green eyes, and was dressed in standard issue ROOT gear: a black halter top that left her midriff exposed, with sleeves ending halfway between her shoulders and her elbows, skin-tight black ninja pants and black sandals. A black Konoha headband was tied around her forehead, and strapped to her back was a standard-issue ROOT Tanto.

Torune resumed his place at Danzo's side, while Yuriko dropped to her knee and saluted the old man with her fist to her chest, "How may I serve you, Danzo-sama?"

Danzo turned to Naruto and Kushina once more, "Naruto-san, if I am correct, your injuries are far more severe than your current posture is indicating?"

Impressed again, Naruto nodded as Danzo continued, "And even with the accelerated healing that Kyuubi provides, without additional assistance, you likely require at least two full days of rest to fully heal from the injuries you're currently suffering, am I correct?"

"Once again, yes. I'm impressed with how observant you are, Danzo-san," Naruto answered while nodding. Kushina simply looked at Naruto, wondering just how severe his injuries had to be in order for Kyuubi to need two full days to heal him.

"Yuriko, here, is one of my finest medical ninja. She can reduce the amount of time you'll need to sufficiently heal from two days to a few hours, making your escape easier. So…with your permission…" Danzo said to Naruto before turning to Yuriko and issuing his orders, "…you will accompany Naruto-san and Kushina-dono through the northeast network to Safehouse Eighteen. There, you will see to Naruto-san's wounds. Once he has healed, you will let them out of the safehouse at noon tomorrow, and immediately return here. You will also see to any and all of their needs while you are in their company."

"I live to serve you, Danzo-sama. It shall be as you have ordered," she responded in the same dead-pan that Danzo's guards had used.

She turned to Kushina and Naruto, "Naruto-san, Kushina-dono, if you would please follow me?"

Kushina just turned back to Danzo again in disbelief, "Again, you're just letting us take sensitive information out of your personal files, and the Hokage's own…and helping us escape? You're willing to lose a golden opportunity to capture Naruto and me and turn us over to Minato?"

"Kushina…" Naruto began, causing his mother to turn to him once more, "…if his claims about his knowledge of my whereabouts and activities are true, and I'm inclined to believe they are…" he said turning to Danzo, who simply nodded back, "…then he could have made a move to capture or kill me any time he wanted. He didn't do so, nor did he report my whereabouts to the Hokage during that time, as I know that Minato-teme would have ordered the attack immediately, just like he did when Kakashi-teme and his little tools told him of their encounter with me. In fact, he's kept Minato-teme from finding out where I was all this time. He's never made a directly aggressive move towards me, nor has he ever expressed to me any ill-will. He's never lied to me, either, and he's probably the only person in this village who has been even remotely objective in his view towards me. As far as I'm concerned, he's more trustworthy than anyone else in this village is…including you."

Kushina flinched at this and hung her head in shame. As much as she hated to admit it, he had a point. She simply nodded in acknowledgment while he continued, "And the whole issue about him losing this golden opportunity to capture us is also a moot point, as, according to his claims, he's always known of my whereabouts, and could easily find me once again…" Naruto turned to Danzo, "…am I right, Danzo-san?"

"Indeed, you are, Naruto-san. Once again, you are far more deserving of my respect than your father, as I can see that, like me, you are no fool. You can also rest assured that I will be…keeping in contact with you from this point forward, as well," Danzo answered.

Naruto nodded, "I'm sure you will. I know you have the resources to do so without it, but if you prefer, when next you contact me, I can give your agent a Readius to deliver to you that will allow you to communicate with me over secure channels without you having to send personnel away from home base."

Now it was Danzo's turn to be surprised, before Naruto's motives became clear to him. He chuckled, "Very clever, Naruto-san. Providing me a way to communicate with you, directly, while giving me a device that I am sure will allow you to further monitor what goes on in this village, and in my office, besides, as well as maybe installing certain fail-safes that could maybe destroy the device, and the entire village, should it self-destruct…" Danzo sighed and looked at the tall blond with an impressed smile, "…I accept your generous offer, Naruto-san…as a means to prove my words worthy of your trust, even if our goals and motives might not be aligned with each other."

Naruto nodded and smiled in response, just as impressed with the calculating old man before him. Kushina found herself dumbfounded at the interplay between the two. Naruto had just negotiated a truce with the potential for a future alliance with Danzo, while maneuvering him into a stalemate to ensure his own safety! She'd never seen anyone able to match wits with this crafty, wily veteran shinobi, yet Naruto had just done it. She knew that Danzo Shimura was not an easy man to impress, and for Naruto to impress him in such a manner was just…incredible! Naruto was right: she didn't know him at all.

"Naruto-san, Kushina-dono…" Yuriko spoke almost robotically to get the attention of her charges, "…if we could be on our way?"

Both Kushina and Naruto nodded. She turned to Naruto, "Naruto-san, Safehouse Eighteen is thirty miles from here. Can you traverse that distance in your current condition?"

Naruto nodded, "Yes, I can; I've had to go farther with worse."

Kushina grimaced in shock and thought to herself, _'When did he have to do that?'_

"Very well, then. We must leave posthaste in order to throw off any suspicion of Danzo-sama's involvement in your escape," Yuriko responded, before leading them out of Danzo's office.

Kushina and Naruto followed her out. Naruto turned back to Danzo and nodded his thanks before rushing to catch up with his mother and their guide. He followed them through a few hallways, turning left here, right there, before they broke out in a straight-out run through a corridor that widened the farther out they went, and didn't have an end in sight.

Both Kushina and Yuriko were quite impressed with how Naruto was able to keep pace with them, especially when they sensed no usage of chakra coming from him. Yuriko's surprise was much more subdued than Kushina's, but it was there. Naruto thought he could see the faintest smile on Yuriko's face, though it could have just been a trick of the light. Once they had traveled for about twenty-five miles or so, both Yuriko and Kushina noticed that Naruto was gritting his teeth, though he wasn't sweating any more than either of them.

Realizing that Naruto must be in extraordinary pain, Kushina asked, "Naruto-kun, are you alright? Can you keep going?"

"I'm fine…" he answered through gritted teeth, "…we're almost there, anyway; I can deal until we get there!"

Kushina flinched slightly at his quick, snappy answer, but simply nodded in response. Before too much longer, Yuriko called for a stop, pulsing chakra into the wall to the right much the same way Sai had in Orochimaru's base. The result was the same: the wall disappeared, but it revealed a flight of stairs instead of a corridor. Yuriko led them up the stairs into what appeared to be a well-equipped barracks of sorts. The moment they got up the stairs, Naruto collapsed, groaning in extreme pain through gritted teeth, this time beginning to sweat profusely.

"**Kushina, you're going to want to get that leather strap ready for him, again!" **they heard Kyuubi's urgent voice.

Yuriko, this time, made no effort at hiding her surprise, "Who's there? Show yourself! This is a restricted area!"

"**I'm the Kyuubi, little baka…"** she responded in a deadpan, mocking tone, **"…and I'm speaking from inside my host. There is no intruder, and there's no cause for alarm. Now, Kushina…"**

"Right," Kushina interrupted, pulling her katana from her back once more and offering Naruto the strap. Naruto bit down before his system was flooded with youki once more, though not as much, this time. Yuriko took the time that Kyuubi was giving Naruto immediate to regain her composure. Once Naruto had been sufficiently healed from the additional injuries that he had inflicted upon himself in the course of running thirty miles with already-critical injuries, Kushina and Yuriko helped him up.

Yuriko guided them through the hallway and brought Naruto into a sophisticated medical bay. Guiding Naruto to the operating table, she laid him down on it. Once done, she immediately began to disrobe and dress herself in sterilized medical-ninja scrubs, ignoring Kushina's gawking and sputtering, while noticing that Naruto was in too much pain to notice. Yuriko immediately got to work, cutting off all of Naruto's clothes so that she could treat him unhindered. Once all of his clothing was removed, including his undergarments, she removed the tattered rags from underneath him and reset his naked body on the table. Kushina blushed upon seeing her son in this condition and excused herself form the room, but not before noticing that Yuriko, even with the face of a consummate professional and the robotic expression of a ROOT ANBU, still had a blush of her own spread across her cheeks.

Yuriko, too busy treating Naruto to notice that Kushina had left the room, began to hook Naruto up to various IV bags to get some fluids into his body. After injecting a strong sedative into his blood, she began to go through several different hand-signs and perform several different diagnostic jutsus to get a better idea of what she was dealing with. When she was done, even with the conditioning that she'd received as a member of ROOT, she was alarmed at the extent of Naruto's injuries.

'_Bruised heart, hemorrhage in the brain, two-inch gash up and down his carotid artery, ribs puncturing his liver and intestines…even with the Kyuubi sealed inside of him, how can he survive injuries such as these?' _she marveled to herself at the medical impossibility that was laying before her, breathing evenly as he slept.

'_The pain he must have been in…_' she thought to herself in a brief moment of empathy that came to any medical ninja regardless of whether or not they were conditioned not to feel before returning to the task at hand, _'No matter; I have to treat these injuries. Danzo-sama wants him to remain alive.'_

Several hours later, she emerged from the operating chamber. She proceeded to look for Kushina, who had fallen asleep on one of the beds while waiting. Yuriko went to wake her up. Upon awakening, Kushina noticed Yuriko's now-blood-stained scrubs and began to worry.

Yuriko began, "There is no need to worry, Kushina-dono. Naruto-san's injuries have all been properly treated, and he is stable. I've placed him in a hospital gown and put him in bed, where he's currently recovering. He should be awake within an hour."

Kushina sighed in relief, nodding in gratitude to Yuriko, "Thank you."

Yuriko nodded before asking, "Is there anything you require right now?"

"No, thank you."

"As you wish. I need to get myself cleaned up so that I don't spread any possible infection, so if you'll excuse me…"

Kushina nodded and waved her off. Yuriko proceeded to the showers to clean herself up while Kushina walked over to Naruto's room. Upon entering, she noticed that he looked much better than he did before: his skin was no longer hanging off of him in tatters, he no longer had a constant grimace of pain on his face…in fact, Kushina had never seen his face look so peaceful. Even as a child, when she paid enough attention to him to notice his expressions, he never looked happy, or even content – there was always a hurt…or angry…or fearful look on his face. A pang of guilt pierced her as she reflected on that, her thoughts coming back to how none of them had done anything to make his life any easier. She also noticed that his face was…honestly, quite handsome. He was even better-looking than his father was. She involuntarily walked over to him and brushed a few stray hairs out of his face before laying a hand on his cheek. After a few moments, she pulled a nearby chair up beside his bed and sat down.

As Naruto slept, Kushina remained at his bedside to make sure that he was protected. Naruto might trust Danzo and his drones, but she did not. She made additional use of her time by reading through the files that Danzo provided. Most of the files from Danzo's office did little more than corroborate the entries in Orochimaru's records, but there were a few additional things that she was able to glean from them: it was noted of the times where Kushina's maternal instincts towards her son were starting to make themselves known again. When it was observed that she was poised to start making motherly overtures towards Naruto, it was noted, "ALERT HOKAGE TO ACTIVATE DRIVE!" Kushina's responses after each episode were also carefully recorded. The lack of personal feelings regarding the notes taken and the way she was monitored made her feel dirty – as though she was some kind of lab rat.

'_How could a man so callously do things like this to his own son?'_ she asked herself as she read through Danzo's records. Danzo's perspective, she could understand…at least to a degree. It wasn't personal to him – he had a mission to perform, and he performed it, end of story. It was when she started going through the records from the Hokage's office, however, that she grew horrified at the man she had married and borne children for. The first record she encountered was an S-Ranked Mission Assignment!

_Date: 6/1/388 PSE (Post Sage Era) (2 Years before birth of Naruto)_

_S-RANK MISSION - CONFIDENTIAL!_

_S-RANK MISSION - CONFIDENTIAL!_

_S-RANK MISSION - CONFIDENTIAL!_

_S-RANK MISSION - CONFIDENTIAL!_

_Personnel: Jounin Minato Namikaze_

_Mission: Court and marry the Kyuubi Jinchuriki with the intention of building a family. Upon birth of first child, allow Jinchuriki's seal to break in order for a new seal that would enable better use of Kyuubi's youki to be placed, either by sealing Kyuubi back into the current Jinchuriki, or by sealing Kyuubi into a new vessel and creating a new Jinchuriki._

_Mission Objectives:_

_Siring of children with some abilities of Jinchuriki, even if limited in form, with possible creation of new Kekkei Genkai._

_Subjugation of Kyuubi to a greater degree, making it into a more useful tool for Konohagakure no Sato._

_Mission Rewards:_

_SS-Rank Mission Fee (15,000,000 ryo)._

_Clan status to Minato Namikaze upon successful completion of mission._

_Appointment of Minato Namikaze as Yondaime Hokage upon successful completion of mission._

Kushina couldn't believe her eyes! Minato had…courted and married her…because of a mission? She remembered that Minato had been named Hokage on the eve of their wedding, and he was to begin performing his duties as Hokage upon their return from their honeymoon. He was also very insistent about starting a family as soon as possible, having conceived Naruto while on their honeymoon. Everything that had happened, it was all because of a mission? Greater shock reached her upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's signature authorizing such a mission, and Minato's own signature showing his acceptance of this mission! Her marriage, her family…was nothing more than the product of a mission?

'_Did Minato ever love me? I know that he never loved Naruto, but…did he even love Kana?'_ she asked herself, almost unable to believe what she was seeing. She had seen more and more of Minato's true colors, but to think that he had started out as a monster who could perform such an atrocity…against her, against their kids? It was almost too much for her to bear.

Steeling herself, she continued to go through the additional files from the Hokage's office. Danzo had somehow managed to get his hands upon what seemed to be a journal, at first, but which she realized were actually reflections kept by the Hokage for any successors so that they could know the path down which the Hokage was trying to guide the village.

She began to read some of the entries written by Sarutobi:

_6/5/388_

_Jounin Minato Namikaze is pursuing the Jinchuriki admirably, as per mission parameters. I am grateful to have such fine shinobi within our ranks who understand the importance of placing the needs of the village above their own personal happiness. We are fortunate that Kushina Uzumaki, the current Jinchuriki, feels a connection with Minato already, as it was young Minato who rescued her from Kumo's kidnappers. Kushina began to develop a romantic attachment to Minato as a result of this, while Minato was simply trying to ensure that the Uzumaki bloodline stayed within the confines of Konoha._

_This attachment is now working in Minato's favor as he sets out to accomplish his mission._

_9/25/388_

_Jounin Minato Namikaze has come into my office, requesting counseling to be able to continue his S-ranked mission of building a family with the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. He claims that at best, he always found her to be annoying, and that when we informed him of her being the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, to quote Minato, he "always knew that there was something wrong with her. Now it's clear to me that she's a monster."_

_I assured him that such was not the case, but he did not seem to believe me. It is of no consequence to the mission, however, so I will provide him with the counseling he needs to be able to continue the mission and remain emotionally healthy._

These were the only two entries of Sarutobi's that were provided concerning Minato's "mission". The next entries were Minato's own:

_2/4/390_

_I am Minato Namikaze, the newly-appointed Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. I have just returned from my honeymoon with the monster that I married as a result of an S-Rank mission to build a family of children with greater than normal shinobi potential. The Jinchuriki is pregnant with our first child._

_5/2/390_

_The Jinchuriki continues to have a healthy pregnancy, and she even seems happy about becoming a mother. She seems to display feelings of love towards me, but I do not believe, even for a second, that they are genuine. A monster cannot love. She's lying to me as much as I am lying to her. Her purpose is to breed children with me for this village that will be powerful shinobi and will ensure its survival, nothing more. I will lie to her for as long as I must in order to achieve this end._

Kushina grew more and more horrified at the entries she was reading. This man, the man she fell in love with…he was evil! His heart was so rotted out…to the very core of his being…that there was no way he could be called 'human'! She read the next entry, taking note that it was dated four days after Naruto was born:

_10/13/390_

_We have since successfully sealed the Kyuubi into my son Naruto. He is the new Jinchuriki. As Hokage, I had to ensure the survival of the village. As a father, nothing could have pained me more than turning my son into the monster in Kushina's place. Oddly enough, Kushina has shown no real change in character or personality since having Kyuubi extracted from her. I will further monitor and observe her to see if there are any changes. I am not sure she will remember me, as Kyuubi had to have been in possession of her for all this time. I can only wait and watch._

_5/3/391_

_The new Jinchuriki is now seven months old. He seems to be a cheerful young infant, but I cannot discount the fact that having Kyuubi sealed within him makes him a monster. But, after watching and interacting with Kushina, and seeing that she hasn't really changed as a 'person', I find myself wondering if my view of Jinchuriki has been wrong all this time. It is a moot point, now. I am the Yondaime Hokage, and my first duty is to ensure the prosperity of Konoha and to lay the groundwork that will lead it to future greatness above the rest of the nations. Whether or not my son is a monster, he must become the weapon that the village needs._

_Orochimaru and I have been able to come to an arrangement. In turn for ensuring Orochimaru's loyalty to the village, as well as having his genius in the realm of science put to work for me, I have made a decision to cover up any morally- or ethically-questionable actions or projects that he might undertake. I will also provide him with state-of-the-art facilities and any resources he needs to conduct said projects and experiments, so long as they can produce results that would benefit this village and its shinobi forces._

_Back to the plan for the weapon, Orochimaru has devised a prototype drug known only as "Drive," that is designed to antagonize the parts of the brain responsible for extreme emotions of a predominantly negative nature: anger, fear, sadness. By using this drug, it is believed that we can forcibly induce episodes of the weapon's loss of control of his emotions so that the Kyuubi's youki can come forth from his body. This will also ensure that Kushina will not bond too closely with the weapon to keep him from becoming what I need for him to be._

Kushina read more and more of the same, before coming to the first entry relating to Kana's birth and her role in Minato's master plan:

_7/2/396_

_Kushina is pregnant again! I have devised a plan that will ensure the weapon's loyalty! This time, we're having a girl, and I can ensure that she becomes Hokage, while the weapon will be conditioned to serve her and be loyal to her! Our tactics at isolating the weapon from social interaction within the village have been successful thus far, and if my daughter can show him some kindness, we believe that it will bond the two, causing the weapon to become loyal to her, and her alone. The village's future will be ensured by this._

Kushina grew more and more…there wasn't a single word for what she was feeling: enraged, sickened, betrayed, anguished, hurt. The more she read, the more this violent storm of emotions continued to grow. She was sickened by the…sinister man that she had been duped into marrying! She put the remainder of the documents down, as she could pretty well guess the rest just from what she saw: Kana hadn't been kind to him the way Minato-teme wanted her to be, and that probably threw a monkey-wrench into his plans. Minato had to come up with something else, so he decided to inform Naruto about why he was hated so much, and try to "talk him into rising above it all". That plan ended with Naruto causing Minato a grievous injury that still bothered him to this day, and running away from the village, ultimately leading to where they currently were.

Kushina, stunned at what she had just learned, simply brought her hands up to her face and began shedding silent tears, the occasional involuntary sob escaping from her throat. She didn't know how long she had sat there for, but she was brought out of her stunned daze by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Naruto, out of bed and looking better, with the documents in hand and a look on his face that told her he had read through them.

"I'm sorry…" he said quietly.

Kushina looked at him in confusion, "What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry that this…" he indicated the documents in his hands, "…was done to you. Nobody deserves to be treated that way, and nobody should have to live that way, either."

Kushina's tears began to flow even harder. Here, she had ignored and neglected him all his life, and he was apologizing to her for the lie she had been forced to live? She jumped out of her seat and flung herself at Naruto, wrapping her arms around him tightly and crying into his chest.

"I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…for everything…I'm so sorry…" her apologies were eventually drowned out by her sobs and her inability to form coherent words through them.

Naruto, feeling awkward and not knowing what to do, slowly wrapped his arms around the hysterical woman in a mechanical fashion before tightening his own hold on her, simply holding her while she cried herself out. No expression on his face, no words of any kind spoken from him, he simply held her, remaining still.

After she was done, she pulled far enough back so that she could look up at him. She couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling at the moment, as his face was unreadable at the moment. Apparently, comfort was not something he really knew how to give someone, and she certainly couldn't fault him for that. She'd had a part to play in that, after all.

She simply smiled gratefully are him and said, "Thank you."

Naruto frowned in confusion, "For what?"

"For helping me deal with this as best you could, for…keeping me with you this far. Most of all, thank you for treating me with more dignity than I ever gave you, especially when I've done nothing to deserve it."

Naruto, not knowing how to respond, simply nodded. It was a moment after this that they both noticed the position they were in: both in each other's arms…staring into each other's eyes…and their faces were awfully close to each other. Both of them quickly let go of each other and stepped back, blushing furiously, turning their gazes this way and that in an effort to find anything more interesting in the room than the other person's face.

Naruto was the first to recollect himself, "So…now that we're out of immediate danger, do you want to have that talk?"

Kushina turned her gaze back to him, "Actually, these documents pretty much answered all of my questions."

"What exactly did you want to ask me?"

Kushina sighed before responding, "I wanted to ask you if you were a monster like your father said you are, and I wanted to look you in the eye as you answered."

Naruto frowned, "You certainly are direct, aren't you? It seems you don't pull any punches, either."

"I know it might seem cruel, but my intentions weren't."

"It's fine…" Naruto answered, "…I'm used to you people from Konoha looking at me that way."

Kushina looked down in guilt at this before raising her head in response, "I did help you get out of there, you know. I don't see you the same way that the rest of Konoha does, and I don't think you're a monster anymore, either."

Naruto raised a quizzical eyebrow, "Is that so? Tell me, then…when we were in Orochimaru's lab, why did you assume that I conduct inhumane experiments on unwilling volunteers? And why did you ask me in such a way that made it seem as though it was the most obvious thing in the world to you that I would do such a thing?"

Kushina's eyes widened slightly at this question before she answered, "I…I honestly don't know why I said that…or why I made that assumption. As I said, I was out of line…"

Naruto raised a hand to stop her before he explained himself, "I'm not looking for an apology. I wasn't asking that question out of spite or to make you feel guilty; I was asking because I simply wanted you to give me as objective and as honest an answer as you could…" Kushina closed her eyes and nodded slowly. Naruto continued, "…so…would you like me to tell you why I think you said it?"

Kushina just opened her eyes, looked at him and shrugged, "Sure."

"I think you, like everyone else in Konoha, have a nasty habit of automatically assuming the very worst about me. After all, to Konoha, I'm a monster. Almost all of my life, to you, I've been a monster, or at best, you've wondered whether or not I was a monster, leaning more towards believing that I was. I think that's what caused you to say what you said in the lab, plain and simple. How close am I?"

Kushina, in shame, hung her head slowly, closed her eyes and shed a few more tears, "You're spot on. And the hard truth is that you've done nothing to make any of us believe that you're a monster."

"So, what now, then?"

"Well, I don't believe that you're a monster anymore, Naruto-kun. You were right when you said that I don't know you well enough to make any kind of determination one way or another about your character, and seeing as we're likely to be together for a while, I guess this is as good a chance for me to start getting to know as I'm ever likely to get. But I also said that I would answer any questions that you have, as well. Do you have any for me?"

"What made you change your mind about me?"

Kushina nodded, "Believe it or not, when you still lived in Konoha, I did have maternal urges towards you. The dates when your Drive injections were activated; those were times when I wanted to pick you up and hold you; you were crying, and I wanted to make everything OK. Ironically, it was always those times when Kyuubi's youki would burst forth from your body and cloak you. I was actually injured by the intensity of it the first few times, and Minato had told me that the seal that Sarutobi placed on you had partially failed. What he said to me just…I don't know…it made sense with the information I had at the time. I hated it, but I…I learned to accept the supposed truth that was there in front of me.

"My doubts about what I'd been told started when you ran off. Minato just started acting more and more erratic, wondering why he couldn't seem to find or locate you. He became more and more angry about it over the months and the years that followed, he would occasionally let certain things slip: 'I need his brain', 'I need his power for my plan', things like that…I don't recall if those were his exact words, but that was the basic gist of what he was saying. Kana, as well, started spouting off about how 'the monster was supposed to be her plaything'. When I confronted Minato about that, he didn't even bother denying it.

"So, when we got Team Kakashi's report about their encounter with you, I insisted that Minato assign me to lead the team he sent to Nami for you. He originally wanted to kill you, but I talked him into capturing you instead. I…I wanted to talk to you, that's all. I didn't order the team to set the village you were in ablaze, and I was actually going to kill the ANBU for disobeying my orders and committing such an atrocity, but…you actually did that for me.

"When I was your prisoner, I was half-expecting you to torture me and be done with it…that's not a slight against you; that's just how Konoha handles prisoners, and I just expected the same. But you treated me well: you gave me comfortable accommodations even if I was locked up, you fed me well and saw that my basic needs weren't neglected in any way. And then…you let me go, and you waited until I was out of harm's way before blowing your home up. I…couldn't understand why you had done that, but it was asking myself why you had, as well as wondering if I'd been lied to the whole time, that caused my dormant Uzumaki kekkei genkai to activate."

Naruto raised a surprised, yet intrigued eyebrow at this. Kushina continued, "I still don't know what it is, yet, because apparently there are several trials that someone born into the Uzumaki clan must undergo within their own subconscious for the right to be called a true Uzumaki, as indicated by a fully-awakened kekkei genkai. My first trial was about where my real loyalties lay, and about my ability to make the best decisions possible. I failed the first two trials, but I passed the last one when I…" she paused, her voice beginning to break before she continued, "…I made the first right decision I'd ever made with regards to you: Minato was about to kill you with a Rasengan, and I jumped in front of it, taking the hit for you, allowing you to exact justice for the people that Minato had ordered killed in Nami no Kuni."

Naruto stared at Kushina in wonder, a small smile creeping across his face as she told him that.

Kushina began to recount exactly what had happened between her and Minato once she had arrived back in Konoha…

_Kushina had made it back to Konoha the day immediately following her first trial. Being the only survivor of the mission, she was immediately escorted to the Hokage the moment she appeared at Konoha's front gate. When she was brought before him, Minato didn't look particularly relieved to see his beloved wife; he actually seemed to regard her with suspicion._

"_Leave us," Minato ordered everyone else in the room. They complied without hesitation._

_When the door was closed and they were alone, Minato ordered coldly, "Jounin Namikaze, report the status of your mission."_

"_Excuse me?" asked a very angry Kushina, beginning to leak killing intent at Minato. Minato was unfazed._

"_Report the status of your mission," he ordered once more, this time more firmly._

_Kushina glared at him for a few moments before seeing that he was only interested in her mission report. She began to report what had happened, showing her anger to him when she began to report the events when her ANBU started disobeying her orders._

_By the time she was done recounting everything, Minato looked furious. Kushina, dumbfounded at the gall this man showed in having the nerve to be angry with a mission that his ANBU botched, began to rant, "Because of your ANBU, I had to change everything I had planned! Who the hell orders an entire village to be burned to the ground and the villagers killed? Why did they disobey my orders, Minato?"_

_"So a village is destroyed in the process of getting Naruto, our son and genius back into Konoha…it's a small price to pay. And the fire – well, I knew it would draw him out, so I gave your ANBU team a set of default orders to follow," replied Minato calmly, then he glared at her, "And I don't like being questioned…"_

"_I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS IF YOU LIKE BEING QUESTIONED OR NOT! YOU PUT THAT TEAM UNDER MY COMMAND!" Kushina yelled at the top of her lungs, interrupting Minato, who flinched in surprise and gawked in anger, "IF NARUTO HADN'T KILLED THOSE ANBU FOR BURNING THAT VILLAGE, I WOULD HAVE DONE IT MYSELF FOR THEIR INSUBORDINATION!"_

"_I am the Hokage, here, Kushina! My orders are absolute; you'd better not forget that!" Minato snapped at her, sharply, sending a sizeable degree of killing intent at his wife. Kushina was stunned; this wasn't something that happened in a fit of lost temper – Minato's killing intent had a sadistic and evil quality to it. It effectively silenced her, as she did not expect such malicious intent directed towards her from her husband._

_Minato took her silence as an opportunity to continue, again with an eerie calm, "So…Naruto committed suicide…by blowing up his base while he was still inside of it? Is that what you're telling me?"_

_"Yes, that's right! I saw it myself," stated Kushina angrily._

_'Why is he asking about something I already said? Does he think I…' she stopped in mid-thought and narrowed her eyes at him, '…he does; he thinks I'm lying! He admitted he gave the ANBU those orders…and now he thinks I'm lying to him? Why? Minato, what's your game, here?' she added mentally as she was getting more and more pissed off at her husband._

_Minato raised an eyebrow and asked, "And yet, here you are…alive, before me, now. It would make more sense to believe that a monster would take his enemies with him."_

_"He had a white haired girl remove me out of his base and he didn't kill everyone else because in his own words, 'he still retains his humanity and restrains himself from abusing his power and resources'," answered Kushina frowning, she was still having trouble understanding why her son let her go free without even a slap on the hands._

_"So not only did Konoha lose half its ANBU forces and two full squads of jounin…but we've also failed to recapture the most advanced technology in the world, and the Kyuubi, both of which could have made Konoha unstoppable? So…did the monster have anyone else with him?"_

_"I don't know; I was held in a locked, windowless room…as a prisoner," stated Kushina, wondering why he asked such a stupid question while at the same time believing it wise to keep Mikoto's and Itachi's names out of her report. As the only survivor, it wasn't like anyone could dispute her report, anyway._

_Kushina looked at her husband and asked in a tone belying her complete disgust with him, "Can I go now? I would like to rest, and I find the air in here to be a bit…rancid."_

_Minato narrowed his eyes at his wife before responding unhappily, "Fine,"_

_Kushina vanished from the room and went home. It was also the last night she ever shared a bed, a room, or even an affectionate word or touch, with her husband._

Naruto couldn't help but laugh heartily at that.

"What's so funny?" Kushina asked with surprised curiosity.

"Well…" Naruto began between laughs, "…one of the things I said to Minato to get under his skin was that you…" Naruto's laughter began to pick up, "…must have…kicked him…out of the bedroom…because he…had a…a…a limp noodle!" Naruto finished before losing control of himself and doubling over in laughter.

Kushina couldn't help but laugh with him as well. The sheer irony that Naruto had struck pretty close to home…at least as far as the lack of marital activity was concerned…couldn't be any more poignant to the two of them.

As the two of them regained control of themselves, Naruto asked Kushina what happened after that. She informed him that she remained at home from that point forward, but she started training once more to get back into top physical form so that she could defend herself. After that day, she felt threatened by Minato, and should she need to protect herself from him, she wanted to have the best possible shot at coming out on top in such a confrontation. She tried speaking to Kana about what Minato had said to her, but Kana just tuned her out…or called her a liar, and that her daddy wouldn't do things like that. The truth came out when Kana said that even if Minato had done those things, that was what a demon and a monster like Naruto deserved, anyway. Kushina then completely gave up on Kana, knowing that she would never change her opinion of her father.

Things kept getting more and more tense in the Namikaze household. Kushina made herself more and more scarce, there, no longer cooking meals for the family, always eating out by herself, only coming home to sleep and clean herself up. It was when she had arrived home one night that she had spotted a scroll with her name on it on the dresser in the room that she chose to sleep in. opening the scroll, it informed her that Naruto had been apprehended and brought to Orochimaru's research facility, where Minato had tortured him and was still keeping him prisoner. The room number and the access codes into the lab were in the scroll, as well as the time that was set for an extraction operation for Naruto. It was clear by the instructions in the letter that she was expected to participate in the extraction.

Weighing the pros and cons of staying in Konoha vs. leaving the village with her son in tow, the right choice couldn't have been more clear to her. She immediately began preparing her best-quality ANBU gear, and also packed her essentials into a scroll: several changes of clothes (all of a functional variety), some personal belongings, toiletries and cosmetics, the Uzumaki Clan's scrolls and documents that she had managed to get her hands on, things like that. She had made her decision – her days in Konoha had come to an end, and it was time to start doing right by her son, for once.

Naruto had been quite surprised at her recalling the events that took place after he had released her. He certainly hadn't expected this woman to come around and start warming up to him after eighteen years of seemingly hating his guts and finding his existence offensive. Seeing that she wasn't lying in any way, and that this wasn't an elaborate deception, he simply nodded in acceptance of her explanation, bringing a smile to her face.

After a long pause, Naruto began anew, "Well, I guess I'm curious: even though you no longer think of me as a monster, what makes you want to build a relationship with me at all, by this point?"

Kushina frowned in response at such a question, "What makes you ask such a question?"

Naruto smiled, "Please…just humor me."

Kushina nodded, looking down slightly, her frown turning thoughtful, "Well…of all the members of our family…you're the only one that doesn't seem rotten to the core, and…well, I…" she paused, trying to find the words, "…I want to do right by you, and be the mother that I should have been…you know?"

Naruto nodded patiently before answering her, "Kushina, I think we both know that we're long past the chance for that. I stopped needing a mother long before I left Konoha…" Kushina hung her head in shame at this before Naruto gently lifted her face by placing a few fingers on her chin and bringing her gaze to meet his own, "…and can you honestly say, after all this time, that you have maternal feelings towards me?"

Kushina sighed and closed her eyes in resignation, shaking her head softly in the negative.

"Listen…" Naruto started once more, causing Kushina to open her eyes and look at him, "…just because that kind of relationship isn't possible for us…doesn't mean that we can't build a relationship with each other. Because you're helping me right now, and because you seem to have changed, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt as a person. Even though I'll never see you as a 'kaa-san', doesn't mean that we can't maybe be friends…or even 'family' in a different sense. Are you willing to start at just building trust and possible friendship and seeing where it goes?"

Kushina smiled and nodded as a tear escaped her eye. Naruto brought his fingertips away from her chin and gave her a smile of his own, causing her to blush once more. This time, Naruto didn't miss it, but chose to keep said piece of information to himself for possible evaluation later.

"Naruto-kun?" Kushina began.

"Yes…Kushina-chan?" Naruto responded, testing the affectionate suffix, seeing how it rolled off his tongue and how Kushina would respond to it. If he was going to try to build something positive with the woman, he figured he should assume the same forms and levels of address that she was using.

She responded by gaining a deeper flush on her cheeks, but also adopting a serious expression, "Do you…that is, to say…have you hated me…all this time? I wouldn't blame you if you have, but I just…need to know, so that I have a better idea of where I stand right now."

Naruto frowned in response to this question. Studying her face, he realized that she was feeling very unsure of her standing with him at that moment; given what she'd just done in getting him out of Konoha, he could certainly understand her apprehension at wanting to be accepted by him.

He answered, "Well, 'hate' is a very strong word. I've never hated you, Kushina-chan…" she breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this before Naruto continued matter-of-factly, "…but at the same time, you've never given me a reason to like you, either."

Kushina nodded after a few moments' pause, "Fair enough."

"But…" Naruto continued, gaining Kushina's attention once again, "…the fact that you haven't made any excuses about it, despite the fact that you really do have some, if those documents are anything to go by; that gets you some points with me. And besides…isn't that one of the reasons we're having this talk? Back in the lab, I told you that you don't know me; well, the truth is that I don't know you, either, but…" Naruto smiled as he added, "…right now, we're getting to know each other, aren't we?"

Kushina let out an embarrassed, gushy laugh as she continued to blush.

"Errm…well, yeah," she sputtered out with a sheepish smile, "Yeah, we are. And I'm…taking a liking to the man that I'm getting to know."

Naruto simply smiled, though he found Kushina's newfound shyness to be rather…cute. It was quite intriguing to him to watch her go from overly-direct to nervous and anxious like a schoolgirl. Kushina slowly moved closer to him, bringing her hands up and placing them on Naruto's chest.

"Thank you," she said, this time with a more serious expression.

"What for?" asked Naruto curiously.

"For giving me a chance. That was a lot more than any of us gave you…and…in a sense, I'm also grateful that we didn't have as much of an influence on you as your family…because you seem to be a better man than we could have ever raised you to be."

Naruto developed a blush of his own again as he looked into Kushina's eyes. It struck him in that moment that she was unarguably one of the most beautiful women he had ever before seen. Now that his vision of her wasn't clouded with anger and hurt, he could appreciate the person…the woman…that was standing only inches away from him at this moment. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around her lithe, slender frame once more, exploring the feel of such an embrace. This time, it wasn't so mechanical; it felt more natural, and it felt more…human. Kushina closed her eyes and allowed Naruto to draw her into himself, enjoying the feeling of a genuine, loving embrace, struck by the fact that she couldn't remember the last time she'd been in one.

"Naruto-san, I see that your injuries are healing admirably," a familiar feminine voice interrupted them, startling Kushina enough to jump out of Naruto's embrace.

Naruto turned to see Yuriko with that same near-robotic expression that she usually wore.

"Yes, they are, Yuriko-san. Thank you for your assistance," Naruto responded, bowing to show his gratitude.

"I have taken the liberty of preparing a meal if the two of you are hungry. As I won't be able to release you from this facility for at least another fourteen hours, I would suggest that you eat. Also, as Danzo-sama directed me, I am to see to all of your needs while I am here. Naruto-san, you should find a few suitable changes of clothes within the quartermaster's closet at the far end of the sleeping bay."

"Thank you, once again, Yuriko-san," Naruto responded.

Yuriko asked in her droning, emotionless tone, "I am merely carrying out my mission, Naruto-san."

"Well, OK…" responded Naruto, "…but I don't think I've ever seen any shinobi carry out a mission with such…enthusiasm to every detail."

"I am ROOT…" the well-endowed blonde explained, "…for me, there is no past, there is no future, there is only the mission. I do not even have my own name – 'Yuriko' is a handle that was given to me by Danzo-sama so that I could be summoned upon command."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "I see. Sounds an awful lot like slavery to me."

"Not at all, Naruto-san…" both Naruto's and Kushina's eyebrows shot up at this, "…I was an orphan who would likely have died had I not been trained as one of Danzo's troops. While I will admit that the conditions under which I operate and live are different than those that normal people, and even normal shinobi, experience, they are the conditions under which I have been raised, and I find them comfortable. I have a purpose, a reason to exist, and I can be of use to people, particularly with my abilities in medical ninjutsu which rival those of Tsunade Senju."

Her two charges could tell by her tone that she wasn't bragging or being full of herself; she was simply telling them the truth as she knew and understood it. It was likely that, given what she had been able to pull off with Naruto on that operating table, especially given the limited equipment that such a facility had, she wasn't overestimating her abilities as a medic.

"And as stated before, my mission, as assigned by Danzo-sama, is to see to each and every need that either of you has while under my care. I have seen to your needs for treatment, clothing, food and lodging for the time being. Are there any other needs that either of you have that I can satisfy? Light or stimulating conversation? Lessons in jutsu? Sexual release?"

Both of them flinched at how matter-of-factly she informed them of that. Naruto responded, "And I thought Kushina was direct…errm, no offense, Yuriko-san, but…your tone is not exactly a turn-on."

Yuriko turned to Kushina, "Kushina-dono, the offer extends to you as well."

"Err…WHAT?"

"I am a ROOT ANBU – we are raised to take on the missions that nobody else is supposed to know about. As such, we are required at times to seduce our targets, be they of the same or opposite gender. I am well-versed, and have considerable experience, in satisfying the sexual urges of both men and women. If you have such needs at the moment, I will be happy to make every effort to satisfy them for you."

"No, I'm good. I don't bat for the other team," Kushina responded very quickly, raising her hands in an almost defensive manner.

"As you wish. Naruto-san…" Yuriko said, turning her attention back to Naruto, while also adopting a seductive, sultry stance, her tone matching, "…I'm certain that I can make your stay, here more…pleasurable and memorable…if you'd allow me…"

She began to take on a much more seductive stance, her every movement purposefully done to tantalize and tease the person she was trying to seduce.

"Yuriko-san…while I appreciate the demonstration, I just woke up from having major surgery, and I think I'd like to eat and rest, for now."

Yuriko immediately readopted her ROOT persona, "As you wish, but please know that while you are under my care, both of you, my offer stands," and with that, she left the room.

Naruto and Kushina looked at each other, while Naruto spoke up, "So…dinner?"

"OK," Kushina responded quickly while they both walked quickly in the direction of the aroma wafting in from the meal that Yuriko had prepared.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: And here's the next chapter, made by Ncpfan... have fun reading

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Naruto and Kushina looked at each other, while Naruto spoke up, "So…dinner?"

"OK," Kushina responded quickly while they both walked quickly in the direction of the aroma wafting in from the meal that Yuriko had prepared.

"Actually…" Naruto began, stopping Kushina who turned to him, "…I'm going to get out of this hospital gown and into some clothes. Wait here, will you?"

Kushina nodded. Naruto made his way back to the sleeping bay that Yuriko told him about and found the quartermaster's closet that she had mentioned. Naruto emerged a few minutes later in simple attire: black shinobi slacks, sleeveless black form-fitting short and black shinobi sandals. Once he returned to Kushina, he saw her immediately become flustered upon witnessing his appearance. Her eyes went wide, her breathing seemed to vary between gasping and holding her breath and breathing more heavily, and a deep blush covered not only her cheeks, but her entire face.

Naruto couldn't help but smirk and decided to tease her, "Are you OK? You're not sick, are you? Here, let me feel your forehead," all the while using a tone that made it obvious that he knew exactly why she was in her current state.

"N-n-n-no…no-no, th-th-tha-that's OK! No-nothi-nothing's wrong!" she sputtered, still wide-eyed and backing up with each slow step that Naruto took towards her. Naruto's smirk still hadn't left his face, but Kushina was too flustered to notice either his tone or his smirk. She quickly ducked, ran around him and sped out of the room, shouting, "SEE YOU AT DINNER!"

Naruto chuckled to himself, _'Well, that was fun.'_

Kyuubi piped in,_** 'Yes, that was very amusing, cutie. Not everyone can tease their birth mother and make them sputter l**__**ike a schoolgirl with her first crush. Although…' **_Kyuubi paused in intrigued thought,_** '…Kushina certainly is quite the stunning beauty, isn't she? And as well as I know both of you, I can tell that you're both attracted to each other, at least on some le**__**vel. Wonder what the future will hold, hmm?'**_

To Kyuubi's surprise, Naruto didn't react in a way that showed him to be uneasy or even uncomfortable at the idea, _'Hmm…that, she is.'_

Naruto took on a reflective posture as he thought about his own reaction to Kyu's teasing, as well as what he'd noticed for the first time about the woman who had birthed him,_ 'You know, it's funny, Kyu-chan…now that my vision isn't clouded by anger or hatred, I'm able to appreciate how stunning she is. I have to admit her beaut__y actually rivals your own. And to be honest, I don't really find myself opposed to the idea of a romantic relationship with her…but then, I don't just want a beautiful woman as a trophy, either. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what's in the card__s, huh?_'

'_**I'm surprised you're not objecting to the idea of having such a relationship with your mother, Naru-kun. Conventional human morals would frown upon this, you know.'**_

'_I'm not concerned with others' opinions or perspectives. Everyone has a differ__ent one, and frankly, only those people that I care for have opinions deserving of any consideration in my book. Besides…'_ Naruto became a little more subdued, _'…Kushina may have given birth to me, but she's never been a mother to me; she'll be the first __one to admit that, now. She doesn't even have maternal instincts or feelings towards me, anymore. We'll never be mother and son, regardless of the circumstances of my birth.'_

Kyuubi sighed sadly,_** 'Point taken. Now…why don't you go get some food?'**_

Naruto gave Kyuubi a mental nod as he left the room to find the meal that Yuriko had prepared. The aroma led him to a small room that contained a kitchen of its own, complete with appliances against the far wall, and a round 5-person dining table in the middle. Kushina was already seated at the table in a seat where a dinner place had been prepared. There was only one other empty place set up at the table to Kushina's immediate left. In the middle of the table were a few simple, well-seasoned dishes: dry-rub beef pot roast, various steamed and roasted vegetables, plain white rice, and two piping-hot loaves of bread that appeared freshly-baked. Naruto and Kushina found their mouths watering at the spread, both of them quite hungry. Naruto noticed that Yuriko was pouring two glasses of ice water from a pitcher before setting the glasses at the two places, refilling the pitcher and then leaving it at the table.

"Are these dishes to your liking?" Yuriko asked.

"They smell wonderful! Are you going to eat with us, Yuriko-san?" Naruto asked the woman.

"My mission is to see to your needs. When I am finished waiting on the two of you, I will see to my own dinner, Naruto-san," Yuriko responded in her usual flat drone.

Naruto just looked at her for a few moments, frowning in thought as he tried to ascertain any other hidden motives behind why she would not want to eat with them. Unable to detect any, he decided that Yuriko needed to eat with them.

"Yuriko-san…" Naruto began, "…I would _like_…" the intonation of the word left no room for argument on Yuriko's part, "…for you to eat dinner with us."

Yuriko didn't miss the manner in which Naruto requested her presence. Despite this, she still attempted to excuse herself, "I appreciate the offer, Naruto-san, but as I said, my mission is to see to your needs, and I would prefer to remain within protocol."

At this, Naruto stood up and walked over to her. She stared at him in mild confusion right before he grabbed her arm and gently but firmly guided her to one of the empty seats at the table.

As she attempted to resist sitting in the seat Naruto was guiding her to, he told her firmly and somewhat coldly, "You're eating here with us…and I will not accept no for an answer. Now, sit down."

Yuriko, seeing that Naruto wouldn't budge, and guessing that resisting any further on her part would likely not end well, relented and did as instructed. Satisfied at her compliance, Naruto prepared a plate for Yuriko and set it in front of her. He then sat in his chair and looked over at Yuriko…who just glared at him.

"What?" he asked smartly, annoyed at her glare.

"Why are you making me stay here with you?" she asked coldly, seemingly uncomfortable with the situation she currently found herself in.

Naruto tilted his head and pondered the beautiful busty dirty-blonde for a few moments before answering her question in a manner that he hoped would satisfy the enigmatic ROOT operative, "You said that your mission is to see to all of our needs, did you not? Well, I feel the _need_ for my hostess's company at her dinner table."

"As you wish," acknowledged Yuriko, nodding slowly before she started to eat her food along with Naruto and Kushina. She could no longer argue with her charge, as he had just made her presence at the dinner table a mission parameter.

Before too much longer, they were all eating heartily, all of them quite hungry after the day's events and the thirty-mile run to the safehouse. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Naruto attempted to start a conversation.

"Yuriko-san, I wanted to say 'thanks' for…patching me up and putting me back together."

Yuriko looked at him and responded flatly, "You're welcome, Naruto-san…" before actually showing a little curiosity and what might have been relief when she added, "…I must admit that I was surprised by the extent of your injuries when I was able to examine you at length. The pain must have been excruciating."

Kushina began to take interest in the conversation upon hearing this. She frowned in concern as she asked, "Yuriko-san, what exactly was the extent of Naruto-kun's injuries?"

Yuriko responded matter-of-factly, "Well, there were his external injuries: all of the skin and soft tissue that was flayed and hanging off of his body, and the trauma and blood loss from that. He was actually in mild shock from that alone. But his internal injuries were far more severe, and would have long since killed him if the Kyuubi didn't work to heal him. I can only imagine that she worked very hard to keep him alive until he received proper medical attention. Anyway, internally, he suffered from a bruised heart, cerebral hemorrhage, a gash across his carotid artery…how he didn't bleed out in mere moments from that, I don't think I'll ever know…and several broken ribs, two of which had punctured his small intestine, and one of which had actually punctured his liver…another injury that would have been fatal were it not for the Kyuubi."

"It's only because of Kyu-chan that I'm still alive…" Naruto interjected, "…she's asleep right now; she's exhausted from working so hard to keep me going. She did want me to relay her thanks to you for picking up where she left off, Yuriko-san. She had already healed several torn muscles so that I could actually make my way here before you looked at me. She even healed my broken right humerus, both of my broken tibias and my fractured skull while I was unconscious before you found me, Kushina-chan," he finished, turning to Kushina.

Kushina simply looked at Naruto, dumbstruck at the extent of his injuries. What she had seen when she got to his cell had been enough to make her cry. She was now straining to calm herself before the tears started flowing once more; she had no idea that Minato had been so brutal in torturing him. She mused idly that she was thankful she was a shinobi – such topics would be very out-of-place at a dinner table where the occupants weren't used to a certain degree of…carnage and gore.

Yuriko's voice brought her thoughts back to the present, "Which leads me to wonder, Naruto-san…" the busty dirty-blonde began with a tone bordering on admiration, "…how are you able to withstand such pain for that great a length of time…and physically keep moving on top of it? As a ROOT ANBU, I would find such a skill to be invaluable."

Naruto's gaze lowered slightly as he let out a sad sigh before answering, "Well…" he sent his gaze Kushina's way before looking back at Yuriko and continuing, his tone noticeably lower, "…when you spend your childhood in labs and having your pain tolerance tested to the limits, those limits tend to expand…whether you want them to or not. Remember what I told you in Danzo's office – I've experienced worse, both in the degree of injury I've suffered and had to endure, and in the degree of pain I've been subjected to."

Kushina could no longer hold back her tears, though she let them fall silently. Yuriko looked down somewhat sadly, surprising Naruto and Kushina with the degree of empathy she as a ROOT ANBU was able to display, "I apologize, Naruto-san. We can change the topic of conversation if you'd prefer."

Naruto simply looked at the woman and smiled before nodding, "Yes, I think that's a very good idea. Yuriko-san, tell us about yourself."

Yuriko looked at him with a confused frown before responding, "I don't understand."

"Oh, you know…" Naruto began, "…where are you from, what kinds of things do you like to do, do you have any dreams or goals for the future…how old are you?"

Kushina turned her head to Naruto in shock at the last question. Naruto immediately turned a steely gaze in Kushina's direction. Kushina got the message: Naruto wasn't being thoughtlessly rude or inconsiderate; he purposefully asked that question, and he knew what he was doing. Kushina simply turned her gaze back to Yuriko, Naruto following suit.

Yuriko began to answer, "To answer your questions, I honestly don't know where I hail from. The only memories I have of the time before Danzo and ROOT found me was waking up in some hamlet somewhere, surrounded by dead bodies. I was bleeding from a head injury, and I… I didn't know who I was…" Yuriko's voice faltered ever so slightly, but Naruto and Kushina both noticed, "…I didn't even know my own name. A few hours later, after just sitting where I was, scared out of my mind, I was found by a ROOT operative. I don't even remember her handle, and I never saw her again after she brought me to Konoha. Ever since then, I have been ROOT. I am ROOT."

Naruto and Kushina were both silent. After a few moments' pause, she continued, "As far as things I like to do…personal interests are frowned upon in ROOT…"

"Yuriko-chan…" Naruto interrupted, eliciting a confused frown from Yuriko and a surprised one from Kushina at the familiar way with which he addressed her, "…even being a ROOT ANBU, I have a difficult time believing that you don't have personal interests, or at the very least, certain duties or missions that you are able to throw yourself into more readily than others. You're definitely a top-notch medic, so…is there anything about medicine or medical ninjutsu that…stimulates you?"

Yuriko's confused frown gave way to an almost faraway look as she responded, her voice losing all of its flatness, "Why, yes, there is, actually. I've always found it…satisfying, for lack of a better word…to be able to help my comrades or others with my talents. Even when I was helping you, Naruto-san, I…couldn't help but find it gratifying that I was able to heal your body. I also have to admit that any time I can learn new medical techniques, or study new fields of medical discipline, I take the opportunity without hesitating. I've also learned a certain degree of veterinary and entomological medical practices so I can be of help to some of my other comrades…and I believe I've said too much about that."

"Our little secret," Naruto offered with a smile, Kushina nodding and smiling as well, "But please…continue…"

"Well, as a ROOT operative, I don't have any dreams for the future. I suppose you can consider serving Danzo-sama and doing all I can to help him achieve his objectives as a dream, in a sense, and…" Yuriko trailed off before answering the last question that Naruto had asked, "…and for the last question, I don't know my exact age."

Both Naruto and Kushina frowned in surprised confusion at this.

"What do you mean?" Kushina asked, both concerned and intrigued.

"As I said earlier, Kushina-dono, I have no memories of any time before the day I was found by ROOT. After much medical examination was performed on me when I was brought to Konoha, my exact age was indeterminate, and it was also discovered that my memories of the days before ROOT will never return to me. I can tell you, Naruto-san…" she turned to Naruto, "…that I am between twenty-four and twenty-seven years of age, as I was either small for my age when I was found, or I entered puberty as early as age nine."

Naruto looked downward, "I'm…sorry."

Yuriko readopted her flat tone, "I have come to terms with it, Naruto-san."

"Still…" Naruto continued, "…your age…and, come to think of it, your name, too – these are vital parts of a person's identity."

"I am ROOT, Naruto-san. I have whatever identity Danzo-sama seems fit to give to me."

"I'm sorry, Yuriko-chan, but I disagree with such a philosophy. I believe everyone needs a way to define themselves…particularly **to** themselves. What you have described is not 'personal identity', because it is not how you define yourself internally. You won't have a personal identity unless you first discover and know who you are."

Yuriko frowned once more in confusion, but this time, her confusion was mixed with just a sliver of apprehension. Naruto saw this and was satisfied. Kushina noticed this as well, and started to wonder if Naruto was actually breaking through the conditioning that she knew this formidable woman with whom they were eating dinner must have been put through by Danzo and his underlings.

"I see…" Yuriko responded after a few moments' pause before finishing quickly, "…maybe we should simply continue eating dinner."

Nothing more was said between the three as they quickly finished their meals. After they had all eaten their fill and the dishes had been cleaned up, Yuriko asked, "Is there anything further that the two of you require?"

"I'm good," Kushina responded.

"Not right now, Yuriko-chan. Thank you."

Yuriko simply nodded, "As you wish. I have equipped the Commander's Quarters for the two of you…" she explained, pointing to a layout diagram of the safehouse that they noticed was present in every room in this facility, "…so that you can get some sleep before I release you from this safehouse. I will be using the Lieutenant's Quarters next door to your chambers. Allow me to show you to your room."

Naruto and Kushina followed Yuriko to the Commander's Quarters. They noticed that the main room of this three-room suite was a study/office, equipped with a desk, planning table, bookshelves, maps, and any other trappings one might expect to find in a war room. The second room was a luxury bathroom, equipped with a two-man bathtub and walk-in shower. The third room was a single bedroom, which both Naruto and Kushina noticed had only one queen-sized bed.

Kushina began, "Well…as the lady of the room, I am commandeering the bed."

Yuriko responded in a firm tone, "And as Naruto-san's current physician, I am ordering that he take the bed so that he can continue healing properly. And per ROOT protocols, any and all non-ROOT personnel must stay within as close a proximity to each other as possible so that they can be properly monitored during their stay in this facility. As monitoring non-ROOT personnel would be easiest and most efficient were they lodged in as few places as possible, the two of you **will** be sleeping in the same room."

Naruto seemed to find the perfect solution, "Kushina-chan, I don't mind sharing the bed if you don't."

Kushina started sputtering and trying to voice objections, only to fall silent a few moments later with a resigned sigh, "Fine; it's just a bed, after all."

"Very well…" Yuriko responded, "…I will now retire to my own chambers next door to the right upon exiting this suite. Should you require my presence or my services, you may feel free to simply enter and inform me."

"Thank you, Yuriko-chan," Naruto answered.

"Thank you, Yuriko-san," Kushina followed.

"Good night and rest well Naruto-san, Kushina-dono," Yuriko responded before bowing and leaving the suite for her own room.

Once she had left, Naruto and Kushina started touring the suite that they were in. Naruto was browsing some of the titles on the shelves. The subjects of the books were almost as varied as their titles, and Naruto couldn't help but be quite impressed with what Danzo possessed in this room. Many of these titles, he knew firsthand, were very hard to find, as it had taken him a long time, and considerable effort, to obtain copies of them for his own library.

"Naruto-kun?" Kushina asked nervously in order to get his attention. Naruto looked to see that Kushina was sitting in one of the chairs at the table.

"Yeah?" he responded curiously, hearing the anxiety in her inquiry.

"Could you…" she paused in her apprehension before continuing, "…could you tell me about your life since leaving Konoha?"

Naruto shrugged, then walked over to the table and sat down in the seat next to her, "What would you like to know?"

"Anything you feel comfortable enough to tell me."

Naruto nodded, "Well, I guess it's safe enough right now to tell you what happened immediately after I left…"

* * *

><p><strong>(Flashback – Six Years ago)<strong>

_Naruto, with Kyu's help, had managed to evade the patrols that had been tracking him thus far. After the first few days, they became less and less frequent. Now, having been out in the wild for over a month, living on whatever he could hunt or forage, Naruto found himself on Kusagakure's side of the Tenchi Bridge, which he had crossed on his way out of Hi no Kuni._

_It was currently near midnight. Naruto kept to hiding during the day and moving at night while visibility was low so that he would not be seen._

_As he was moving quickly yet quietly to the northwest, he was stopped by a sudden, very deep voice, "I thought I sensed another jinchuriki nearby."_

_Naruto turned in the direction of the voice to see the biggest man he had ever seen. The light was too low for him to determine the color of this giant's clothing and eyes, but Naruto could make out what appeared to be very heavy armor, covering his entire upper body, including his neck and ending in an armored facemask similar to what that teme Kakashi was known to wear. His helmet looked like an upside-down wok without any handles, but Naruto could tell that it was very functional in design, protecting this near eight-foot-tall man from wide spread attacks from above. As the man approached closer, Naruto could make out the emblem for Iwa on his headband._

_Naruto began to look this way and that, trying to determine the best possible escape route. The giant's calm voice brought his attention to bear once more, "What are you doing all the way out here by yourself, son?"_

_Naruto regarded the big man warily, "Why?"_

"_Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've run away from home."_

"_What makes you say that? Who are you? How did you come to find me?" Naruto asked, now even more on guard._

_Sensing Naruto's fear, the giant reassured him, "Easy, son. I'm just a shinobi passing through en route to a mission. You needn't worry; I'm not out to apprehend you or anything. As far as how I came to find you, I sensed you as I was coming this way."_

_Naruto's guard hadn't dropped for even a moment as the giant continued, "And to answer your question about how I can tell you ran away from home: given the state of your body and your clothes, it's pretty obvious you haven't seen civilization in a good little while. You're obviously not a ninja, otherwise you'd either have a headband on or you'd have comrades close by as you're only about genin-age. My own tenant tells me that you have a bijuu sealed inside of you, and judging from the look in your eyes, your home village didn't treat you well…at all. How am I doing, kid?"_

_Naruto, not letting his guard down, nodded slowly, indicating that the man was accurate in his deductions._

"_My name is Han," the giant introduced himself, "I am the Jinchuriki for the Gobi no Irukauma. I'm a jounin from Iwa, and I'm as hated by my village as you are by yours. You'd be about the right age, and you look an awful lot like the Yellow Flash, so I'm guessing you have the Kyuubi no Kitsune sealed into you, and you're Namikaze's son, right?"_

_Naruto, seeing no point in denying the truth, nodded. He knew that if Han wanted to hurt or kill him, he would probably have tried it by now. Naruto also didn't feel any killing intent coming from the man before him._

_Naruto, for some reason unknown to him, started talking, "My village, and even my family, all hate and abuse me, with the exception of a single clan. I ran away because I hate the place and because I 'dared' to attack the Hokage, the man who's responsible for how my life has been up to now."_

"_Humans," Han spat the word out, making it clear how he felt about them, "Disgusting creatures for the most part, aren't they? Always fearing and persecuting that which they don't understand, or trying to use us as tools for their own ends only to throw us away when they're done with us…" there was a few moments' pause before Han spoke up once more in a softer tone, "…so, tell me, kid: what's your name?"_

"_Naruto…Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze."_

"_Good to meet you, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze," the big man replied before surveying the area, "Well…this seems to be as good a place as any to stop for a while."_

_Han immediately began moving around, setting up a makeshift camp for himself. As he finished lighting a fire, he looked over at the obviously-famished boy._

_Seeing the state he was in, Han ventured, "How'd you like a full-sized meal tonight, Naruto?"_

_Naruto's eyes went wide, and though he didn't let his guard down, he slowly nodded while walking over to the fire that Han had just created and sat himself down, warming himself. Han proceeded to pull out a sealing scroll, and unsealed some slabs of meat…the animal they had been cut from, Naruto could only guess, but honestly didn't care to – meat was meat, and he was hungry._

"_Thank you," Naruto said slowly._

"_You're welcome, son," Han responded quietly as he prepared a few hot stones and a spit to roast the meat on. Naruto took the pot that was offered to him from Han, and went to fetch some fresh water from the river nearby. Before too much longer, Naruto brought the water back, and he could see that Han had his makeshift rotisserie grill set up. While the meat was cooking, Han tried to make some small talk with Naruto, and seeing that Han didn't mean him any harm, Naruto began to slowly relax and open up a little more about his life in Konoha, the exact events that led him to leave, and the last several weeks since leaving. Once the meat was finished roasting, Han gave Naruto a healthy-sized slab, which Naruto began to devour hungrily, along with drinking plenty of water to wash it down. He had actually been so thirsty that he had to go back to the river to get some more water for the two of them, much to Han's amusement._

_After the meal was done, Han asked, "And what exactly do you plan to do from here…Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze?"_

"_I don't have any long-term plans, yet. Right now, I'm just trying to survive and get out of reach of any Konoha shinobi."_

"_Do you have any plans to work as a shinobi elsewhere?"_

"_No!" Naruto replied emphatically, "I don't want to be anything like those evil monsters from Konoha, and I certainly don't want to be a shinobi!"_

_Han nodded in what seemed to be approval as he answered, "Good for you, son. You mark out your own path in life, and don't let your family or your home hinder you from that in any way. If you don't want to be a shinobi, though, you'll definitely need to take up another trade. The instincts that you've honed through your efforts to stave off mistreatment would serve you well on a battlefield; I can speak from personal experience on that. Tetsu no Kuni has a military made up of samurai instead of ninja, and I hear that General Mifune is a good and honorable man. They also maintain neutrality with the Shinobi Nations so chances are that if you were to take up residence there, Konoha wouldn't hear about it."_

_Naruto looked at the man in confusion, "Why are you helping me, Han?"_

"_It's not often I meet a kindred spirit…" he replied, "…you're probably the only person I've ever met that might understand what it's like to live in my shoes. We understand each other, and to me, that's reason enough. Tetsu no Kuni is east of here. Look for the Three Wolves Mountains in Mori no Kuni; within those Mountains is Tetsu no Kuni."_

_Naruto again looked on in confusion before nodding to the man, "Thank you, Han of Iwa. And you're right; I've never known anyone who understands me the way you do. Even if we never meet again after this brief encounter, I would count you as a friend. I hope we meet again in the future."_

_Han nodded, his smile could be heard in his tone, "So do I, son. So do I. I'll keep an ear to the ground for news about you; make a fellow jinchuriki proud, OK?"_

_Naruto gave Han one of a very few genuine smiles that he had ever given to another human being in his life. He bowed to Han and left eastward, making his way towards the snowy climbs of Tetsu no Kuni._

**(End Flashback)**

* * *

><p>Kushina sighed sadly, reflecting on how he said that his family all hated him.<p>

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked.

"Naru-kun…" the shortening of his name with the suffix wasn't lost on Naruto, "…for what it's worth, I…I've never hated you. I was afraid of you, well, more like I was afraid of what was happening to you…but I never hated you."

Naruto's gaze turned dark, "Kushina-chan, it was your behavior towards me that angered me the most. I had thought that as a former jinchuriki yourself, you of all people would have understood what I was going through and maybe tried to help me or defend me."

"I can understand your anger at me, especially knowing what I now know. Naru-kun…" Kushina paused for a moment before reaching out for his hand and taking it in her own, "…the times when your youki forced its way out of your body; I never experienced anything like that when I held Kyuubi inside of me. I honestly didn't know what was going on with you, but I knew that you shouldn't have had episodes like that. That's why, when I was told that the seal was corrupted and faulty, given what I knew from personal experience, it made perfect sense to me, because a perfect seal wouldn't have allowed that. I honestly didn't know any better, and…"

"It's OK…" said Naruto, gently squeezing her hand as she held his, but the darkness hadn't left his tone, "…I know that you were lied to. And given the context in which you understood the seal and the way it was supposed to work, what you believed about me actually makes even more sense, now. We both know a lot of things now that we didn't know, before."

Kushina squeezed his hand a little tighter, causing him to do the same. After a few moments, Kushina added, "So what happened after you met Han?"

Naruto responded, "That's best left for another time. Once we're safely away from here, and from any potential eavesdroppers, I'll tell you more; there are some things I'd rather keep secret from anyone in Konoha."

As the conversation wasn't going to go any further at that time, they both began making preparations to retire for the night. They found that their bathroom had been equipped with all of the toiletries that they would need to maintain their personal hygiene. Taking turns to clean themselves up, they both prepared themselves for bed. As they took their respective sides of the bed, both facing away from each other, Naruto had a thought about their host that he wanted a second opinion on.

Naruto turned toward Kushina and asked, "Kushina-chan?"

"Yeah?" she responded, not turning around.

"What do you think of our Yuriko-chan, huh?"

Kushina did turn towards Naruto this time, "Why do you ask?"

Naruto lowered his voice and raised a finger to his lips before answering quietly. Using his chakra, much to Kushina's surprise, he created a silencing seal that spread across the walls of the bedroom, causing them to glow brightly before dimming just enough to indicate that a seal was active.

"I took some time to prepare this seal after our earlier talk so I could ask you a few things. It's strong enough to keep bugs and other surveillance devices or seals from functioning properly, but a makeshift seal like this only lasts a short time. The reason I asked, though, is because now that I think about it, even though I'm giving Danzo a Readius with multiple layers of surveillance tech, it would be beneficial if I actually had a living, breathing plant in his organization."

Kushina couldn't fault his logic; it certainly made sense.

"OK…so, how do you propose bringing Yuriko-san to our side?"

"Our side? Already thinking of us as 'bedfellows', huh, Kushi-chan?" Naruto responded teasingly, amusing himself with his double entendre. He found himself to be further amused by Kushina's shocked face-fault, followed by yet more sputtering and a very healthy blush.

Choosing to wait on further teasing, despite how much it amused him, Naruto brought her back to the matter at hand, "Which actually brings us to another issue. Do you have anywhere to go once we leave here?"

Kushina frowned, "No, I don't. I didn't imagine myself ever actually leaving Konoha…certainly not this soon, at any rate. Once I'd gotten word of your capture and the plan to extract you, there wasn't time for me to make any plans other than to pack a few basics…" she smirked as she finished, "…of course, the one thing I did manage to do ahead of time was to create my own secure bank account in an independent financial institution in case I ended up possibly being forced out of my house. So before I came to get you, I took the liberty of having all of the funds in the family bank account redirected to mine, so now Minato and Kana have no money of their own for a little while and they have no idea where it might be…and if nothing else, I do have a nice lump sum I can fall back on for a pretty lengthy period of time."

Naruto chuckled at that, "Not bad…not bad at all…" his chuckling died down before he continued, "…but since you're here, and your story checks out, I'd like to make you an offer: how would you like to live with me?"

"Just like that?" asked Kushina dubiously, "I thought that you didn't fully trust me."

"I don't…" Naruto responded straightforwardly, "…and that's one of the reasons I made the offer. It was Sun Tzu who said that one should keep their friends close and their enemies closer. Right now, you seem to be a friend, but I'm certainly not about to let my guard down so easily given our past history…despite it being staged…" Naruto quickly cut her off before she could raise any objection, "…the fact of the matter is that it's still there…" Kushina's posture wilted at that, as she couldn't deny the truth of what he was saying.

"But remember…" Naruto added yet again, "…I did say that I would give you the benefit of the doubt, which is another reason why I'm willing to allow you to live with me in my home. It gives you a chance to prove yourself trustworthy to me…and a chance for me to prove myself trustworthy to you, as I'm guessing you still feel a bit suspicious as well – certainly reasonable given that you don't know me, or what to expect from me. It also makes it easier for me to monitor you, and will allow me to act more quickly and easily should the need to address any suspicious activity present itself."

Kushina nodded slowly and deliberately, able to see and understand his point of view, "OK, that's certainly reasonable…and fair. And you're right – we are basically strangers to each other, and…given what we did to you, you have much stronger grounds for suspicion than I do…" she smiled sadly as she added, "…I'll just be glad for the chance that you're giving me to show you that you can trust me. I'll do all I can to earn your trust."

Naruto nodded, his lips curling up ever so slightly in what could almost be described as a smile. Kushina shifted her body into a more comfortable position so that she could more easily look at Naruto without straining her neck.

"So…" Kushina began, "…what are your rules?"

Naruto frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Naru-kun…" Kushina began slowly, putting a gentle hand on his arm, causing both of them to blush as they looked directly at each other, "…I am going to be living in your home. I've already seen what can happen when those who live with you don't follow the rules you set down…and while I don't know you well, from what I've been able to learn about you through observation, you seem to always have a reason or a purpose behind the things you say and do. On top of that, while I don't fully understand your technology, I've seen the measures to which you'll go to keep it out of the wrong hands, which tells me that it's dangerous when it's used wrongly…and since you went as far as to destroy all traces of it in Wave, it's probably equally dangerous when it's used carelessly, am I right?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow and nodded, impressed with Kushina's own deductive skills_, 'Well…she is an Uzumaki by blood, after all; I got my brains from her, and she's passed one of the trials to unlock the first level of her kekkei genkai, so her intellect shouldn't be that surprising,'_ he mused to himself quickly before Kushina continued.

"So…" she spoke up after a brief pause, "…while I am a resident in your home, I intend to follow all of your rules and keep myself within any boundaries that you set down for me, as you are the master of the house. I would hope that I can start to earn your trust with that, but at the very least, as my provider, I want to treat you and your home with respect and show you my gratitude. So, then…what are the rules and boundaries that I need to follow and keep to in your house?"

Naruto smiled once more, this time noticeably, "You know, you're the first person I've ever given sanctuary that has ever asked me that question without my prompting…" his smile faded, "…but let's wait until we actually get there before we go over that – a lot of them have to do with the house itself, so it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to tell you now."

Kushina shrugged, removing her hand from Naruto's arm. Naruto spoke up once more, "But now, back to the previous topic, about Yuriko-chan and getting her to our side…" Kushina paid close attention once more, remembering the previous topic of discussion, "…you must have noticed how she responded when she started telling her story. I think the idea of not having her own identity is a bit of a tender spot for her; that leaves a lot of room for someone who knows what they're doing to endear themselves to her. So, if nothing else, I believe I might be able to…'help her'…with that."

"OK, I'll bite. Where do you plan to start?"

"I was thinking about taking her up on her earlier offer."

Kushina seemed to become a bit uncomfortable, "Err…which one?"

"Oh, you know…" Naruto began nonchalantly, "…her offer of providing…I believe the expression she used was…'sexual release'?"

Kushina frowned in response at this.

"Do you disapprove?" asked Naruto.

"Well, no…" Kushina began, again in that dubious tone, "…it's not that; I can see how you'd be able to maybe endear yourself to her that way, but…well, you do know that she's likely to see this as an opportunity to further ingratiate you to Danzo, and maybe try to get some intel out of you, right?"

"I'm actually counting on that…" Naruto replied, "…but at the same time, she won't know what my motives are – she'll suspect I have some, to be sure, but I don't think it will keep her from carrying out her mission, so…at best, we start bringing her to our side…at worst…well, sleep will come to me a little more easily, tonight. Win-Win, hmm?"

"I guess…oh, I don't know…" Kushina responded with just a hint of irritation in her voice, "…you just…go ahead and do what you feel you need to do," and with that, Kushina turned back to her original position, facing away from Naruto.

This time, it was Naruto's turn to frown, but in confusion, "Well…OK, then."

Naruto got up and began to make his way out of the Commander's Quarters and over to Yuriko's room…

* * *

><p>'<em>What is wrong with me?'<em> Kushina thought to herself as she lay tossing and turning in the bed, trying to get comfortable enough to lose herself to sleep. She was puzzled and distressed at not only her reaction to her son, but also to the jealousy she was feeling towards Yuriko right now for being the current object of Naruto's attention.

'_I know that we'll never have a parent/child bond, but…he's still my son, biologically. __I'm not supposed to…'_ even to herself, she was having great difficulty admitting her true feelings. Ever since she saw him on the operating table after Yuriko had cut his clothes off of him, her body had been…reacting to his presence, and her thoughts about him had started going in a direction that she never imagined they would. Even now, her body was flushed, she was beginning to sweat, her heart was racing, her breathing was becoming heavier…and then there was the god-awful heat and moisture in her loins.

'_But…here I am, and even though I'm not supposed to…'_ taking a moment to find the strength to admit it to herself, she forced her thoughts forward_, '…desire him like that…I'm finding myself starting to. I'm even…feeling jealous that he's gone into Yuri__ko's room and he isn't here with me. I have no idea what I should do about this…it's not like I can just talk to him about it – he'd think I was some kind of…well, I don't know what he'd think.'_

Her thoughts drifted back to when she saw him sleeping after Yuriko had operated on him. She saw that peaceful look on his face in her mind's eye – the first time she'd ever seen such an expression on his face. This brought a tear to her eye as she remembered her own guilt, but it brought a smile to her face that she was now taking responsibility for her wrongs against him…even if she wasn't entirely, or even mostly to blame for her lack of relationship with him.

She loved that peaceful expression on his face…such a wonderfully handsome and manly face…the way his hair felt when she gently brushed it out of his face with her fingers…the way his face felt to her touch…

'_AAUUGGHH! There I go again!'_ she yelled to herself in an effort to rein her thoughts in so that she could fall asleep and be done with this uncomfortable phenomenon…at least for the time being. It was about fifteen minutes later that sleep finally claimed her…

* * *

><p>'<em>Hmm…I wish Kyu-chan was awake right now…'<em> Naruto thought to himself as he made his way out of the room assigned to him and Kushina to go over to Yuriko's room, _'…I'd like to talk to her about this…interesting new development.'_

Naruto couldn't just see Kushina's arousal, he could smell it – that thick, honey-like musky smell. He admitted that it was fun teasing Kushina, but when he smelled her arousal, he realized that he might need to cut the teasing out for now. Even though he had no objection to the idea of a romantic relationship with the woman, she still had a long way to go in order to earn his trust in light of the lifetime of damage that her lack of warmth, affection, or even attention had caused him. It wouldn't benefit either of them for one or the other to get carried away physically right now, especially since she was going to be living with him.

'_But then, part of me also asks, __'what can it hurt?'…'_ he mused to himself, _'…yeah, I'll ask Kyu about it, later. I can put this aside for now – wouldn't do to be caught up in thoughts like this when Yuriko-chan's supposed to have my attention.'_

His decision made, and his mind focused on where he needed it to be, he headed to Yuriko's designated bedroom and opened the door…

* * *

><p>Yuriko had pulled her lush, silky hair out of its high ponytail and allowed the thick mane to cascade down her back. She was going through her own nightly rituals before getting herself ready to turn in for the night. As she was on a mission, she was sleeping in her clothes so that she could be up and combat-ready at a moment's notice. Even with missions like this, ROOT protocol dictated that its agents had to be ready for battle in any place, and at any time. But despite being a ROOT operative, she was still a woman…and as such, she liked letting her hair down every now and again, both figuratively and literally.<p>

While she was doing this, she couldn't get the dinner conversation out of her head. The idea of having her own identity…why did it gnaw at her mind so? The idea of being your own person, having your own interests…the truth was that she already had them, at least as far as she was permitted to have them in order to perform her duties in ROOT. But the idea of being her own person…with her own identity…it made her feel so many things: intrigue and curiosity at the possibility, fear of the future should she manage to claim it, sadness and…anger?…at never having had the opportunity to develop into her own person.

Her thoughts betrayed her current state, _'Why did Naruto-san's words strike such a chord with me? I'm a ROOT ANBU, I'm supposed to be beyond such feelings…but at the same time, the attraction that I f__eel towards him; I can't deny it. He's a charismatic individual…if a bit uncouth at times. I get the impression that he doesn't like people as a whole…but he does like persons, possibly even groups, individually. Intriguing…'_

Her thoughts drifted back towards the operations she performed on him to heal him of injury. She couldn't help but blush as she thought about the man's body – every toned and hard muscle, the rich tan that he sported…the almost feral quality that surrounded him, despite having almost no body-hair to speak of, except in the armpits and around the groin. As ROOT, she was thoroughly-trained to control her impulses in such a manner – when she was on missions of a more delicate nature involving another party, it was always she who assumed the dominating role in the encounter. Always in control, never allowing her impulses to get the better of her, this was who Yuriko was!

'_Hmm…isn't that odd?'_ she mused to herself as she finished brushing her teeth, spitting the toothpast out and rinsing her mouth to get the remaining toothpaste out of it,_ '…maybe I'm starting to discover who I am apart from what I've been told I am.'_

It was with this thought at the forefront of her head that she heard her front door open. Coming out of the bathroom, she turned to see Naruto closing the door and regarding her with a thoughtful expression.

Adopting a business-like persona, she queried, "Is there something that you require of me, Naruto-san?"

"Yes, Yuriko-chan, there is…" Naruto answered, before adopting a friendly, unassuming, yet confident expression, causing Yuriko to raise an eyebrow, "…I was thinking about you. I was hoping that your offer concerning certain…needs…was still on the table?"

'_What's his game? I'm not sure how to read him right now, give__n his lack of reaction from earlier…'_ she mused to herself, regarding him curiously before responding to his question, "Yes, my offer still does stand, Naruto-san…" she adopted the same sultry posture that she had used earlier, "…so, what brought about the change of heart and made you want to play with me…Naruto-kun?"

The affectionate suffix she used wasn't lost on Naruto, seeing that she was "getting into character" in an effort to engage him more. Naruto responded in turn, "Well…as I said, I was thinking about you…well, more specifically, about our conversation at the dinner table…and I find that you intrigue me. So, in addition to 'playing with you', as you so aptly put it, I'd also like to talk to you more, if that's OK."

Her sultry posture hadn't changed, but an additional glint of curiosity and suspicion appeared in her eye – one that Naruto could see as he thought, _'That's right, Yuriko-chan…convince yourself that you have the advantage. Study me – probe - dig…and let my demonically-enhanced pheromo__nes do the rest. Being a demon does have its perks.'_

"Well…" Yuriko began, maintaining her sultry persona, but also adopting a casual and friendly tone in her voice as she spoke, "…I've never objected to talking, Naru-kun. I'll let you know anything you want…" she finished with a wink, thinking, _'Yes, Naruto-san. That's it: let your guard down, and let me in. Danzo-sama needs that brain of yours…' before she felt her body getting hotter, '…and I'll be glad to keep your body for my…NO! I mustn't let my __thoughts wander. I am ROOT! Danzo-sama's goals and will are my purpose for existing.'_

Naruto, seeing the turmoil on her face, allowed himself an inward smile, while on the outside, he seemed concerned, "Are you OK…Yuri-chan? Do you mind if I call you Yuri-chan?"

Yuriko shook her head, bringing her thoughts back to the present, plastering a friendly smile on her face and answering Naruto's question, "Oh, err…I'm fine Naru-kun. And yes, I'd like for you to call me Yuri-chan."

"OK, then…Yuri-chan…" he answered, before taking a seat in one of the lounge chairs that was in the room, "…so I guess what really brings me over here is that I'm curious about you."

"Me?" Yuriko asked, any hint of playfulness gone in light of her surprised curiosity, "Why exactly?"

"Well…I couldn't help but think about the way you lit up when you talked about your medical ninjutsu skills and the things you wanted to learn…" Yuriko's eyes flashed with a momentary flicker of wariness, which Naruto caught, "…don't worry, I'm not going to try to ask you anything that might reveal sensitive information…" her tension immediately faded, "…I'd just like to get to know **you** more, that's all."

Yuriko frowned in thought, both at the man before her and her wary suspicion as to his true motives. She readopted her friendly, sultry persona and responded, "Alright then, Naru-kun…so what do you want to know?"

"For starters, why this act right now?" he asked immediately, catching her completely off-guard and causing her to recoil as it was the last thing she expected him to ask.

He added, "I mean, this isn't really you; I know you've stated that you don't really have a sense of how you think of yourself to yourself, but why the act? Why put on a show that isn't that hard to see through?"

Yuriko blinked a few times, looking this way and that, trying to process his reaction to her, as somewhere in the back of her mind, she noticed a scent of some kind. She almost couldn't consciously detect it, and it wasn't strong enough for her to bring any real attention to it, but there it was. It was…pleasing to her. She felt herself getting hotter at the same time, finding herself…less able to respond to him. She would have started to ponder what was happening and why, but Naruto interrupted her thoughts once more.

"Yuri-chan…how about this – I'll just ask you some questions, and you can answer them, OK?" he asked plainly.

Yuriko started to regard him nervously…even fearfully, feeling herself losing more and more control over her impulses, _'What's going on, here? I__s he doing this? I…what are these strange sensations? They're overwhelming me.'_

She turned a steely gaze towards Naruto, asking him firmly and directly with a noticeable edge, "Naruto-san – what are you really after?"

Naruto recoiled at this, "What do you mean? I told you why I…"

"That's enough!" she interrupted, raising her voice, "I…" she turned her gaze from him and walked over to the other side of the room before telling him more quietly, "…I want you to leave my room."

"You what?" Naruto asked confusedly, while inwardly thinking, _'Good…you're getting there, Yuriko-chan.'_

"I said I want you to leave, Naruto-san! Right now!" she yelled this time, turning back to him, the expression on her face one of anger mixed with fear.

"But Yuri-chan…"

"Don't call me that!" Yuriko yelled, now trying to keep tears from flowing, "No 'Yuri-chan', no 'Yuriko-chan', just 'Yuriko' or 'Yuriko-san'! Now, please…leave!"

Naruto's expression darkened as he raised his hands defensively and started to back away, "Very well…Yuriko-san. I will return to my chambers. Good night."

* * *

><p>As he turned around and left through the front door, he allowed himself a smile as he thought, <em>'There's hope for you, yet, Yuri-chan. Just a little more prodding, and you'll be what I need you to<em>_ be. I'll have you, you'll give me what I need, and I'll be sure to take good care of you when the time comes.'_

Naruto returned to his own room, and to his and Kushina's shared bed, satisfied with the results of his brief excursion…

* * *

><p>As soon as the doors closed, Yuriko ran into the bathroom, disrobed, and turned her shower on, turning the cold water on all the way. She was so frazzled that she was shaking.<p>

'_What's happening to me? I've never experienced anything like this! What happened that caused me t__o lose command of myself the way that I did?'_ she asked herself frantically as she doused herself in the icy-cold water, hoping to cool herself down.

'_Is this…fear? Is this anger? Is it…both, maybe? Why do I feel this way? I've never felt this way befo__re, and I've never felt __**anything **__this intensely! I don't like this – feeling so unsure of myself. But still…'_ Yuriko allowed herself to wander, and even daydream a bit, towards the man that she had just forcefully ejected from her room as she allowed the icy water to cascade down the length of her body,_ '…I also want to…explore this more. There's something else there, as well. I don't know what to call it but…for some reason, I want to be near him. I want to see his face, hear his voice…for some reason__, I want to feel his touch, and even inhale his scent. What is this? He…dare I admit it, this power he seems to have over me…frightens me…but at the same time, he…intrigues me! He…what is __it about him that draws me in, so? Why do I want to run as far a__way from him as I can get? At the same time, why do I want to run __**to**__ him and be as close as I can to him at the same time?'_

Her fear and confusion both brought rise to overwhelm. Tears began to flow as she couldn't maintain herself anymore. Sobs started escaping from her throat involuntarily. Never had she been so far out of control in all the time she could remember – even when she had been found by ROOT, she hadn't been this panicked, and this far out of her comfort zone!

'_What does this mean? And wh__y do I even want to know what it means? This jeopardizes my ability to perform my mission, so why do I want to explore it more? What did he do to me?'_ Yuriko continued asking herself frantically, trying to regain control of herself and finding herself unable to.

She leaned against the wall opposite the shower head, allowing herself to slide down into a sitting position. Bringing her knees up to her chest and holding them there with her arms, she leaned her forehead into her knees, and continued sobbing to herself, the icy water still pouring down onto her. After half an hour or so, she turned the water off, dried off, dressed and went straight to bed, eagerly awaiting the chance to release Naruto and Kushina from this house and return to Danzo…while at the same time, not wanting the enthralling blond man to leave her sight, frightened at the possibility of never seeing him again so that she could explore these issues further.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: And here's the latest chapter for Tech Maelstrom... yeah took awhile but what can you do? It's a big chapter. Hopefully the huge thing will tide you over for awhile :p

And as always, most of the credit goes to Ncpfan for doing alot of the work. Can't imagine how the story would end up without him.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Naruto rose before dawn the next morning, leaving Kushina to sleep. Even though he intended to give Danzo a Readius, he also realized that, in light of where his main stronghold was located, it would be prudent of him to give Danzo a makeshift two-way radio that could connect Naruto's Readius for communications purposes. It would also enable Naruto to better coordinate plans to have Yuriko as his ROOT contact…that Sai kid wasn't too bad, but he was too much of a drone for Naruto's tastes, at least in people as far as he could stand them. But then, maybe if Yuriko didn't work out, he could convince Sai to work for him, somehow. Deciding to work that out later if the need arose, he proceeded to the task at hand of building the comm device. Pulling a few pieces out of the scroll that he had sealed all of his stolen tech in, he got to work.

A few minutes into his task, his bedmate's voice reached his ears, "Interesting, the things you're able to do with machines and gadgets…so what is this you're working on?" Kushina asked, intrigued.

"Just a communications device that will allow Danzo and I to speak during the interim between when we get home and when I can get his Readius ready for him…" Naruto responded, before turning to the redhead and nodding with a courteous smile, "…good morning, by the way."

Kushina smiled nonchalantly, "Good morning…" Naruto noticed that her smile faded some before she continued, "…so how exactly is this device supposed to work?"

Naruto smirked as he thought to himself, _'So, her kekkei genkai __**really **__**is**__ starting to unlock, it seems. Let's see…'_

"Well…" Naruto began, "…it works like so…"

He spent the next half hour pointing out different small pieces of the circuitry and electronic guts of the communicator and explaining what they did as he tinkered with them and tested them. He continued with this until he adjusted the final settings and limited the makeshift Readius to communications functionality only. The communicator was powered, functional, and connecting perfectly with the main computer back at the stronghold. Satisfied with his handiwork, he closed up the casing for the palm-sized device. He found it rather pleasing that Kushina actually took an interest in his work, and was able to even follow what he was doing to a degree.

Kushina commented in a seemingly-offhand manner, "You know it's funny…I've never taken an interest in things like this before now. I don't think I could have understood half of what you explained to me. I've seen a few people fiddle around with things that weren't anywhere near as complicated as what you just built, here…and I had a hard time understanding what they were doing. Not that I took the time to ask, but…still, it's just kind of…strange, that's all."

Naruto turned his attention to his red-headed companion, "Tell me, Kushina-chan: what do you know about the Uzumaki Clan kekkei genkai?"

Kushina frowned in confusion, "That's a bit random, isn't it?"

Naruto smiled, "Humor me."

"There you go with that, again…" she remarked with a smirk and a chuckle before adopting a thoughtful expression, "…well, I don't know much; I didn't have anyone who was able to train me with it or teach me about it, and I wasn't given any scrolls or records about it when I was sent to Konoha, either. I know about our chakra's density, which makes us good candidates as jinchuriki, and also about how our chakra keeps us young and vibrant, allowing us to live much longer than just about anyone else. That's really about it."

"There's actually much more to it than that…" Naruto responded as he frowned thoughtfully, launching into an explanation of what he knew, "…you know about the Uzumaki Clan's legendary sealing abilities, yes?"

Kushina nodded.

Naruto continued, "Well, our sealing abilities are also a part of our kekkei genkai."

Kushina's eyes went wide in astonishment, "I…didn't know that."

Naruto nodded, "That's right. But it doesn't end there. You know the few Uzumakis through history that were geniuses in their chosen fields and almost singlehandedly brought about incredible advances in said fields?"

Kushina nodded, prompting him to continue.

"That's also part of our kekkei genkai."

"Wait a minute, what?" Kushina asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"That's right. You see, while it doesn't have an actual name, our kekkei genkai is quite powerful, and also quite involved. It has four levels. The base level is something that all Uzumaki are essentially born with, which is our baseline physical chakra density and extraordinary life force. The next level after that, which most Uzumakis awaken with proper training, is our spiritual chakra density, which is why Uzumakis, even with enormous reserves of chakra, had better chakra control than most. It's also why Uzumakis seemed to be much smarter than most people. Our chakra makes our minds work faster and more clearly when our second level is awakened. And as you're able to keep up with what I'm doing with this tech, you've just confirmed that your second level is now beginning to awaken. I'll bet that you'll have an easier time understanding seals, now, as well."

Kushina simply nodded, fascinated by what she was learning, and excited that she might be able to finally grasp the concepts behind what her clan was legendary for: sealing.

Naruto continued, "The third level, which most Uzumaki seemed to eventually reach, is the ability to take any chakra-related art or technique, and instinctively understand the process and the flow behind how it works. The ability to learn things outside direct chakra-related arts is also enhanced to a degree. It's this level that brought about our great seal masters, because most of the Uzumaki who reach this level focused in fuinjutsu – it set them apart from any other clan or village in power. The final level, and the level that very few Uzumakis have ever unlocked, gives an Uzumaki the ability to bring our minds and bodies into perfect sync with each other, and completely unlocks our mental potential, allowing us to understand and learn pretty much anything we want to learn at a rapidly-accelerated pace. Even Mito Uzumaki hadn't awakened this level before she died, and her father was the last one to do so before me. And yes, I've awakened this level; it's why I'm able to do the things I'm able to do with the technology that you see me playing with. And like me, he became a technological wizard. I'll tell you about some of the things I've seen that he built once we're safely away from here."

Kushina just sat there, astonished beyond belief. She blinked a few times before shaking her head and speaking up, "So…does any Uzumaki have the potential to awaken all four levels? And how do you know so much about it?"

"To answer your first question: yes and no…" Naruto paused before expanding on his answer, "…yes, any Uzumaki can potentially awaken all four levels, and no, not just any Uzumaki can awaken them. Take Kana, for example. She's as much an Uzumaki as I am…at least, genetically. But our kekkei genkai also gives us a certain degree of 'genetic memory'. In our bloodline are sealed the memories of our ancestors – not quite sure how, but Uzumaki chakra is probably interconnected throughout any Uzumaki Clan members, somehow, because sometimes you can get genetic memories that aren't from direct ancestors – a great, great uncle, for example – it's how I received Sanjuro Uzumaki's genetic memories…" he elaborated upon seeing Kushina's confusion, "…that was Mito's father…which is also how I know so much about the bloodline."

Kushina's eyes widened in understanding as she nodded, before Naruto continued, "Anyway, back to Kana. As you know from your own trial, the Uzumaki Clan values certain traits and characteristics; after all, our bloodline shouldn't be opened up to just anyone. So…it looks for certain traits, such as loyalty, family, moral right and wrong as seen by our forefathers, etc. Kana has never loved me: an Uzumaki who has been recognized by our…chakra soul, I'll call it…as a true Uzumaki. Kana wouldn't think twice about killing me or subjugating me if she could."

Kushina simply listened, frowning as she considered the truth about her daughter as Naruto explained it. Naruto pressed on, "At some point, she may end up going through the same trial you did. But as she is, now, she'll fail…and even the base level of the bloodline will be lost to her. Even Uzumaki blood seals wouldn't recognize her as an Uzumaki, and as a true Uzumaki, I would have to consider her an enemy of the Clan, and treat her as such, if I want to retain my bloodline."

Kushina became saddened and fearful as Naruto explained this part of the bloodline. Seeing her apprehension, she continued, "Kushina-chan, you need to understand that our bloodline only becomes locked to blood traitors, and people born into the Uzumaki who have become so despicable in the eyes of their own Uzumaki chakra that it leaves them. It takes a loathsome human being to make that happen."

Kushina hung her head in shame at this as she responded sadly, "I see…"

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked, seeing her sadness and distress.

"That almost happened to me. I haven't completely finished my trials yet. My own kekkei genkai told me that they're not over…" Kushina's tone lightened up as she added, "…and she wasn't very nice about it, either," she finished with a chuckle.

Naruto chuckled along with her, "Well, if you passed the first trial, you have the right to at least keep your kekkei genkai for now. The next trial will be to help you to advance your kekkei genkai to the next level. And seeing your interest in gadgetry and such, I would wager a guess that your second trial is approaching within the near future."

Kushina grew fearful at that. Naruto waved her fear off with his hand, "I'm sure you'll do fine. Just remember to pay attention to the lessons that it's trying to teach, apply them, and you'll pass the trial. I can't tell you any more than that, because the trials themselves are uniquely tailored to each individual."

Kushina was somewhat relieved, appreciative of Naruto's expressed vote of confidence in her. Growing ever more curious, she asked, "Can you tell me about your trials in advancing our bloodline?"

"Actually, no I can't…" Naruto answered, "…because I never got tested directly by my subconscious. Apparently, my own life, and how I responded to what happened to me in life awakened all four levels of my kekkei genkai by the time I'd made the decision to leave Konoha. It was how I was able to overcome the control seals that were placed on me by Kakashi-teme and dear old dad's ANBU cronies."

Kushina simply nodded in understanding, now knowing exactly how to respond to such an admission. The silence lasted a few more moments before the aroma of food being cooked tickled their senses.

"Ahh, breakfast will be ready, soon…" Kushina broke the silence, perking up at the smell, "…Mind if I use the bathroom, first?"

"Go ahead…" Naruto answered, "…I need to finish this up."

Kushina nodded as she got up. She headed into the bedroom and retrieved a change of clothes she'd brought in her own sealing scroll, and took them with her into the bathroom before closing the door. The sounds behind the door indicated that she was taking care of her morning hygiene. Naruto took a blank scroll from the desk there in the Main Room and began to write:

_Danzo-san,_

_Enclosed in the storage seal below, you will find a device that will allow you to communicate with me for a limited amount of time until I can prepare a fully-functional Readius for your use. I leave you with this device so that we can coordinate plans for future contact and I can safely get your contact agent to my Western Wastelands Stronghold when you send them. I would like to personally request Yuriko as the contact, as I do find her company to be quite pleasant. I must commend you on your training of Yuriko – she is the consummate professional, and has performed all of her 'duties' with exceptional skill. I will make contact with you once I have arrived home._

_Until then,_

_Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze_

After writing the note, he wrote a storage seal below it and stored the comm device inside it. Rolling up the scroll and sealing it shut, Naruto began to read through some of the books on the shelf in order to pass the time until the bathroom became available. Once it had, Naruto performed his own morning rituals, taking half the time it took his former mother. As Naruto exited the bathroom in the clothes that were made available to him from the safehouse Quartermaster's facility.

"So…" Kushina spoke up almost nervously, "…how was your night last night with Yuriko?"

"Nothing happened of **that** nature, if that's what you're concerned about…" Naruto answered in a direct, matter-of-fact tone.

"I…see…" Kushina responded, sounding confused yet relieved.

"I'll tell you more once we're away from here."

Kushina studied him for a few moments and nodded slowly. Both of them decided to pack up their remaining gear and finish their preparations for departure before leaving the suite they had slept in and making their way towards the kitchen. As they entered, their tall, dark-blonde hostess was in her standard ROOT uniform, absorbing herself in the task of finishing breakfast for the three of them.

"Good morning, Yuriko-san," Naruto greeted the busty woman in a carefully-measured tone.

"Good morning, Naruto-san," Yuriko responded coldly and quickly without even turning around to face him.

"Err…good morning, Yuriko-san," Kushina greeted her, hoping to ease some of the tension that was beginning to fill the air.

"Did you sleep well, Kushina-dono?" Yuriko responded to Kushina's greeting in a less-cold tone, actually turning to make eye-contact with the redhead.

"I did, thank you."

"Very good. As you can see, breakfast is nearly ready, so please seat yourselves."

Naruto and Kushina followed her instructions. Kushina looked at Naruto with an inquisitive eyebrow as she looked between him and Yuriko. Naruto just narrowed his eyes a little bit and shook his head back and forth almost unnoticeably. Kushina got the message: don't worry about it right now.

A few moments later, Yuriko served the two of them breakfast before preparing her own plate and seating herself at the table, noticeable closer to Kushina than to Naruto. Yuriko and Kushina engaged in meaningless conversation, while Naruto just listened and watched as he continued eating. The meal, while quite good, had been a forgettable affair, and before long they were done.

After Yuriko cleaned up the dishes, she addressed Kushina, "Kushina-dono, it would be advisable for you to find some clothing from our own quartermaster's office, here. Your own ANBU uniform will do little to conceal you from Konoha patrols that you might run across. I can also supply the two of you with any additional gear you require."

"Thank you, Yuriko-san," Naruto spoke up almost immediately. He turned and nodded to Kushina, who left for the quartermaster's office to suit up in black ROOT gear.

Yuriko turned to Naruto, glaring at him coldly before turning away from him. Naruto caught her arm, gently turning the woman towards him. As Yuriko faced Naruto, she was immediately surprised to find Naruto's lips planted onto hers. Her eyes widened, so stunned was she that she made no attempt to pull back. Naruto pulled back after a few moments to look her in the eye, she in turn staring at him in a mix of confusion, fear and what seemed to be curiosity and desire.

"Thank you for your hospitality, and for patching me up…" Naruto said to her, again using a deliberate tone. Pulling the scroll he had written the letter and sealed the communicator in, he handed it to her, saying, "…please, deliver this to Danzo-san with my compliments, both for his assistance and for your services."

Yuriko, still too stunned to say anything, simply nodded. Naruto left the kitchen, prompting Yuriko to pull herself together and prepare to show him and Kushina to the exit of the safehouse. Kushina had since emerged from the quartermaster's office dressed in standard ROOT garb, plain white mask and all, and handed one to Naruto, who stared at it with a blank face.

"What's the matter?" questioned Kushina, confused about why he wasn't taking it.

"I don't wear weird things like that…" he replied seriously, "…and you two seem to be forgetting that I _allowed_ myself to be caught and tortured in the first place. I don't run from any battle; I won't go out of my way to look for a fight, but if we happen to run across a Konoha patrol, I'll deal with them."

"Well, OK, then…" Kushina responded with a shrug before setting the mask aside, deciding not to argue with him. Naruto, satisfied with her acceptance of his answer, nodded his head once.

After informing Naruto and Kushina of where they were, and of standard patrol routes to avoid, Naruto had informed them that they would be heading west into the wastelands beyond the Elemental Nations. After deciding that heading straight north into Ta no Kuni would be their best bet to getting out of Hi no Kuni, Yuriko led them to a seemingly empty spot on the wall. Touching the wall and channeling chakra into it, a seal lit up, causing the wall to disappear and a stairway to lead upwards. Both Uzumaki's nodded their goodbyes to Yuriko and quickly ascended the stairs, jumping out of what appeared to be a well-hidden hollow tree and into the great forests of Hi no Kuni. Both of them proceeded north as fast as they could travel.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

They had been moving north at a slower pace than Kushina was comfortable with for the last two hours. Kushina kept leaping through the trees in typical shinobi fashion, but Naruto had remained on the ground. She kept backtracking so that she wouldn't lose sight of him, and found herself growing somewhat annoyed, even though the pace at which he'd been moving had been pretty impressive for someone that hadn't broken out into a run. Not only was the pace too slow for her liking, it also gave any passing Konoha patrols a greater chance at finding them.

"You look like a freak of nature," said Naruto at last, keeping his pace while Kushina was hopping back and forth through the branches above.

"Says the guy who's moving his arms and legs back and forth so fast that he looks like a grounded hummingbird! Why aren't you traveling like me, anyway? It's faster and it takes less effort," replied Kushina, finally making her irritation known.

Naruto looked up at her and stated, "It's going to take us at least a month to reach the Wastes, and another two weeks after that to reach my fortress. There's no point in rushing to get there. Besides, I don't like heights; I'm not a ninja, and I'm not a monkey either, Kushina-chan."

Kushina sighed and shook her head, not knowing how to respond and opting to file his comments away in her head for now. As they had both acknowledged the previous night, she didn't know him, so she chose to simply observe and gather information, playing back her conversations with him in her head, seeing what she could discern about him from them. She was brought out of her thoughts as she noticed him looking up at her before he asked with a snicker, "My, my…is that a tail I see poking out?"

"What?" she shouted as she turned to him with an angry glare. Seeing the bemused smirk and the mischievous glint in his eyes, she began to understand her son better – this was simply part of his sense of humor. Adopting a smirk of her own, she jumped out of the trees and started walking along with him.

"Oh…has the monkey decided to walk?" he asked curiously, his playful expression never having left his face.

"Yes, the wily and agile _monkey_ decided to walk and take pity on her slower-moving companion, the _turtle_…" Kushina retorted just as facetiously as Naruto, satisfied at his surprise to her clever comeback before adding teasingly, "…besides, if you thought you saw a tail, then you must have been staring at my ass pretty intently, huh?"

His eyebrows shot up, showing even greater surprise. Kushina, inwardly performing a dance at her seeming victory in their little battle of wits, purposefully added a sway to her hips as they continued walking along. She brought a finger up to her chin and adopting a demure expression before asking in a tone that was not only teasing, but somewhat sultry as well. She brought her other arm underneath her impressive breasts, raised them up ever so slightly and asked in a pouty voice, "Have you been staring at other things, too? Is my Naru-kun having naughty thoughts about his Kushi-chan…hmmm?"

Naruto began to sputter a bit before he calmed down. Realizing what had happened , and that he'd probably only dig himself into a deeper hole if he continued, he conceded with a small smile, "OK, you win this round, Saru-chan, but I'm coming back for more."

"Bring it whenever you're ready, Kame-kun," she responded. Both of them shared a laugh as they grew just a little closer to each other.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Danzo was in his office going over some intel that had just been presented to him from several of his deep cover field operatives. Apparently, he needed to deal with a few things in some of the bordering minor nations before they became a threat to Konoha. It was as he was reviewing some intel that came from Umi no Kuni and the goings-on there that a certain busty, dirty-blonde medic suddenly appeared in his office, kneeling on one knee and saluting.

"Yuriko, what do you have to report?" asked Danzo.

"My mission was successful, Danzo-sama…" she answered in a flat, emotionless tone. Now that she was away from Naruto, she found herself feeling much calmer and more comfortable within the surroundings with which she found herself most familiar, "…Naruto-san and Kushina-dono were let safely out of the safehouse and are now away from Konoha."

She pulled the scroll out that Naruto had given to her and presented it to him, "Naruto-san instructed me to pass this on to you with his compliments for both of our services to him."

Danzo took the scroll and unsealed it. A note and what looked like a Readius poofed onto the desk in front of him. The Readius didn't look like one of the regular ones before they all destroyed themselves, but the chances of Naruto having all the correct parts to form a normal one were less than likely in the safehouse.

Danzo picked up the note and read it. After reading it, he wasn't surprised that his thoughts were correct regarding the makeshift device in front of him. He looked at Yuriko, who was still kneeling on one knee silently. He saw no reason not to accept Naruto's request about having Yuriko act as the go-between for him and Naruto.

"Yuriko…" said Danzo calmly, "…from this point on, you will be my contact with Naruto once he reaches his stronghold. Until that happens, you're on standby unless an emergency requires your immediate services. Understood?"

"Yes, Danzo-sama," replied Yuriko with just the slightest hesitation, frowning almost unnoticeably upon receiving her instructions.

"You're dismissed, then," said Danzo before returning to the intel he'd been reviewing and trying to think of possible personnel selections to handle missions to those areas.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"-ama…Hokage-sama," said a worried voice, repeatedly.

Minato slowly opened his left eye, returning to consciousness, though it pained him to do so. He found himself idly wondering why his right eye wouldn't open.

"What…happened?" he asked in a weak voice, wincing and groaning at what felt like pins and needles on his chest and face. His throat also felt raw; it hurt to talk and even to breathe. As his blurred vision finally came into focus, he saw that it was Hawk who was addressing him.

"Orochimaru's lab exploded, Hokage-sama. Kushina-sama's guards have been killed and with the evidence I was able to find…" Hawk took a breath, steeling himself to deliver news that he knew his Hokage didn't want to hear, "…sir, it suggests that Kushina-sama freed Naruto from his cell, then the two proceeded to do something in Orochimaru's lab before destroying the whole facility and everything within it. You barely made it out thanks to your Hiraishin, Hokage-sama. As soon as you reappeared, we searched for you and found you in your office; you were unconscious. I brought you to the hospital, myself and had you admitted; you've been out for three days, sir."

"I see…" Minato responded, barely above a whisper, "…thanks again, Hawk."

"Minato…" Hawk decided to give Minato the worst news as his friend, not his soldier. Minato tensed at this, knowing in his gut that what Hawk was about to tell him couldn't be good if he chose to break protocol, "You did make it out, but…you did not come out unscathed. The right side of your face is…burned, as are your neck and your chest on that side. The medics did what they could but…" Hawked tailed off deciding to leave it at that.

"Show…me…" Minato weakly growled out through gritted teeth. Hawk nodded melancholically, and brought over a hand-mirror. Minato snatched the mirror out of the ANBU's hands and looked at it. Seeing that his face and neck was covered in bandages that extended beneath the hospital gown he was wearing, he instructed his long-time compatriot to get a doctor so that he could see the extent of the burns on his face.

Hawk left the room and brought back the physician on duty less than a minute later. The doctor carefully removed Minato's bandages from his face, informing him that he was keeping the bandages on his neck, as there was a chakra-salve on his neck that was healing the irritation on the inside of the Hokage's throat. Minato idly thought to himself that this explained the cold sensation that he felt on his neck. Once the doctor took the bandages off, Minato looked into the mirror once more…and grimaced in rage, ignoring the pain in his face.

The right side of his face looked like melted wax, extending over into part of the left side. A good portion of the side of his head was nothing but burn scars where shock-blonde hair once was. His right ear had also fused with his head. He couldn't open his right eye, as the swelling was still too great; he hoped that was the only problem, and that his eye hadn't been burned out of his head. His neck, he could only assume, was in as bad or worse shape. He didn't much care about how his chest looked at the moment, as he could keep that covered.

_'That little bastard and that bitch!' _Minato raged to himself as his anger peaked, swearing that he would have vengeance on Naruto and Kushina for this outrage,_ 'They're not getting away with__ this!'_

The doctor took the mirror out of Minato's hand once he was finished, and began to redress the Hokage's melted face in fresh antiseptic gauze.

"T-tou-sama?" asked a disbelieving voice that he recognized as his daughter's. Minato slowly turned his gaze to the door, only to see Kana's tear-filled face. Minato looked at Hawk and tilted his head towards his daughter. Hawk got the message and took Kana by the hand, leading her to a chair on the other side of Minato's room.

Once she was seated, Hawk knelt before her and placed his hands on her shoulders in a brotherly manner. Kana immediately started, worry filling her voice, "Hawk-nii-san, what happened to my tou-sama?"

Hawk sighed, "Kana-sama, your tou-sama…was injured in an explosion caused by Naruto who was…imprisoned until just three days ago," stated Hawk, trying to give her just enough of an answer without giving away classified information, "ANBU are currently working to recapture him."

"Where's Kaa-chan? Why isn't she here?" asked Kana confused on not seeing her mother at home or by her husband's bedside at the hospital.

Hawk looked at Minato, who nodded slowly, "Your Kaa-san…is with Naruto, Kana-sama. We…suspect that she may be under a genjutsu or something that compelled her to free Naruto from his cell," stated the Anbu seriously before adding, "At least that's what we hope has happened. We fear that…Kushina-sama has joined Naruto without being fooled by a genjutsu or something else, and that she freed him of her own volition."

Kana closed her eyes tightly and started shaking her head in disbelief, whispering, "No…no…" before her cries of protect and denial grew louder, "No, no, **no, no, NO!**"

Her eyes snapped open as she glared furiously at Hawk and shouted "**LIAR!**"

Kana jumped out of her chair and pointed at Hawk accusingly, her glare even more heated, "Kaa-chan would never side with the demon! She wouldn't betray me! I'll find Kaa-chan and you'll see you're wrong when I bring her back!" she added before running out of the room.

"H…Hawk," Minato muttered, panting and cringing at the pain in his throat every time he used his voice, "Send others with her. If she does…happen to run into…her mother and…the monster…she might be the…key to getting…Kushina back here. I want to…deal with Kushina…myself. She'll need babysitting…send ANBU to…keep her from…getting herself killed. Make sure you send…a medical ANBU…to give her injections," he finished before taking the glass of water on the nightstand by his bed and swigging it down, exhaling in relief as it cooled his throat. He then closed his only open eye, laying his head back and attempting to sleep once more.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I'll send an entire platoon of ANBU with her, and I'll even let her lead the team aside from their default orders, which will come directly from me," replied Hawk, before vanishing with a shunshin.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Bear and the others had left Konoha an hour ago and just now caught up to the apparently extremely fast Kana, who was still giving them a run for their money.

"Kana-sama, stop for a minute!" he shouted once he was within earshot of the girl.

"No!" replied Kana loudly, "I'm not going back until I get Kaa-chan!"

"We were sent to help you, not bring you back!" stated Bear before missing a branch that... was gone,_'That little brat...'_ he thought as he grabbed a lower branch and continued after her, _'She broke that branch when I was focused on her,'_ he added, a bit perturbed at the girl. She might be the Hokage's daughter, but even still, he felt that sabotaging him was a bit much.

He and the others stopped as Kana stopped on a branch to stare at them, "And?" she questioned as she glared at them.

"Hokage-sama sent us to help you retrieve Kushina-sama, and since the demon is likely to be with her, you're going to need help if push comes to shove, Kana-sama. For the duration of this mission, you've been declared an ANBU captain, and I was told that we were to follow your orders," he said seriously, _'Unless your orders conflict with our standing orders to eliminate hi__m and retrieve her by any means necessary, that is,'_ he added in his own thoughts.

"Fine. Just keep up or I'm leaving your asses behind," stated the blond girl angrily before turning around and continuing in the direction she was heading.

_'Spoiled brat…th__is is going to be one long mission,'_ thought Bear, sighing to himself before he and the platoon hurried after her.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Naruto and Kushina reached the Valley of the End at dawn on the fourth day from leaving the safehouse. Deciding that they were both in need of a bath and fresh water, they took turns showering under a spot of the waterfall where the water wasn't flowing down so heavily that it would push them under the spring at its base. It was during this point that Kushina had seen Naruto's bare upper body for the first time since he was on Yuriko's makeshift operating table, and most of his skin at that point had been hanging off of him in tatters. Now that she could see his skin clearly, three things had struck her: first had been the rich tan that coated his body, second was the muscles on his body, which were larger than what a typical shinobi would possess, but not so large that they sacrificed speed in any way, and the third…

"Naruto-kun…" Naruto's eyebrow shot up when she used his name instead of the affectionate "Kame-kun" that she'd started using when addressing him, "…the skin across your chest and upper back; is it all…scar tissue?"

Naruto pursed his lips at the question and started glancing this way and that. Kushina, seeing that he found the topic unpleasant, quickly responded, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject…"

"No…it's OK; you didn't know…" Naruto interrupted calmly before adding, "…to answer your question: yes it is. But…I'd prefer not to talk about it right now…"

"OK, no further explanation needed," Kushina interrupted his interruption, allowing the subject to drop as quickly as it came up.

Naruto smiled gratefully at her discretion, "Thank you, Kushi-chan; now, let's finish getting cleaned up and get moving, huh?"

Kushina nodded, finishing her own shower at a different point under the waterfall away from Naruto's view. They both finished and crossed a few miles into Ta no Kuni before making their way west, staying off of the roads and using the Rice fields to keep hidden from potential passers-by. The teasing between the pair only seemed to grow as each day went by, and only seemed to become more sexual in nature. Naruto could once again smell Kushina's arousal, and this time, it didn't seem to go away.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Danzo scowled at the shadows in his office. After what he had learned of the events corresponding to Naruto and Kushina's escape: of Minato's injuries and hospitalization, and of the fool's arrogance, he knew it was only a matter of time before he would seek vengeance. Naruto had played him like a flute, and had not only pushed all of his buttons deliberately, but he had also taken most of Konoha's non-ROOT R&D, the man's wife, and even the man's face! This was personal to Minato, as Naruto had just made the man look like a complete fool.

What surprised Danzo, however, was that even though he would take the supposed affronts against him, personally, he would still usually take the time to plan such an undertaking, even if vengeance was his only motive. However, he had just been informed that an entire platoon of ANBU - indeed the most elite shinobi, those tasked with only the most important missions and guard duties - had just left the village, following Minato's offspring, Kana, off into the forest. Kana had apparently decided that she was going to kill Naruto by herself and bring her mother home.

Kana Namikaze – the headstrong, arrogant little brat – had been the cause of more headaches for Danzo that any other event or person, anywhere, ever. He was beginning to think that it just wasn't worth all of the times that he had sent a ROOT operative to stay in the shadows and watch her when out of the village. He probably should have just his losses and let her die, now that he thought about it; the stupid girl just never learned!

Did that stupid idiot that called himself her father not even drill into her head that it was just idiotic to try taking on an enemy that was so far out of your league that the difference couldn't even be measured? Naruto was at least strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with his father! Kana didn't stand a chance against him! Was it the injections that were giving her the added overconfidence? It might have been – it hadn't done that with anyone else, but knowing the girl, and the way that her father coddled her, he wouldn't be surprised. Regardless, he needed to figure out what was going on and why.

After a moment of putting the pieces together, the answer came to him, _'Ahh…I see…I should have known that Naruto would not be one to cover or hide his tracks.'_

Danzo smirked, finding himself admiring Naruto's intelligence once again, _'If anything, it would be reasonable to assume that he is deliberately letting them follow him, but for what purpose?'_

Danzo continued pondering the scenario, putting the facts as he knew them into context considering what he knew of the way Naruto thought and acted, _'If there are no attempts to hide a trail, then there is only one conclusion: Naruto intends to spring on any that should find and follow his trail. Seeing as Kana's out there, as well…'_

Danzo turned to Fu and ordered, "Bring Yuriko to me. I have a mission for her."

Fu immediately vanished, intent on carrying out his mater's orders. After a few minutes, Fu reappeared in the room with the blonde woman. She knelt and saluted, "Agent Yuriko reporting as ordered, Danzo-sama."

"Yuriko, it would seem that our hand has been forced. You are being sent to Naruto ahead of schedule due to circumstances," Yuriko fought hard to keep the surprise and discomfort she began to feel suppressed and invisible.

Danzo, apparently not noticing her discomfort, continued, "Kana Namikaze, upon finding out that Naruto-san and Kushina-dono had indeed left Konoha together, somehow got it into her head that she could eliminate him and retrieve her mother by herself. You are to follow her and the ANBU that have been sent to accompany her to Naruto-san and Kushina-dono's location, and provide assistance against Kana and the ANBU. In addition to your standard long-term mission gear, I need you to take with you an advanced medkit, along with several vials of Drive."

Yuriko frowned at this, knowing what Drive was, but not understanding the need to bring some with her. Danzo took a few moments to go into his desk and pull out a scroll.

Handing the scroll to her, he continued, "In this scroll are a medical description of what Drive is and does, and instructions for its use and administration. The Drive is for Kana, whom Hokage-sama has been injecting with it for several years now. It is most likely that Naruto and Kushina will capture the girl and try to keep her alive, to which end they will need your assistance. Do not reveal yourself to the girl, or to the ANBU platoon that is in her company…yes, an entire platoon was sent out after her…" he answered the implied question as he saw the confusion on Yuriko's face, "…believe me, I was as surprised as you are, and considering the ridiculousness of the situation, I'll allow you your surprise. It would seem that our esteemed Hokage-sama is taking this one a little too personally."

Danzo gave Yuriko a moment to regain her composure before continuing, "Your instructions are to follow Kana and the ANBU with her to Naruto-san and Kushina-dono's location, and to assist Naruto-san and Kushina-dono once there. Eliminate all of the ANBU with her if Naruto-san and Kushina-dono fail to do so, and if Naruto-san and Kushina-dono do not capture Kana Namikaze, you are act accordingly to the situation. If you must reveal yourself to Naruto and Kushina, Kana would have to be eliminated. If you are not forced to reveal to them within Kana's line of sight or earshot, you may act as thought you were sent by me to keep an eye on her and ensure her safe return home. Are your orders clear?"

"Hai, Danzo-sama," replied Yuriko, before offering an inquiry, "Am I to expect injuries on Kushina and Naruto?" she asked, in case she should be prepared for that instance.

Danzo shrugged and replied, "Unlikely…as Naruto is leading them into a trap, and any injuries sustained by them would be minor. You are to leave immediately. I trust you remember the route they were to take upon leaving the safehouse, Yuriko?"

"Hai, Danzo-sama," said Yuriko before picking up the pouch with Drive in it. She bowed to Danzo before leaving the room.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

After the third day of Naruto and Kushina's continued…mutual frustration, once the pair had stopped to make camp for the night by a small, clean-looking lake, it was clear to Kushina that they wouldn't be able to continue like this before something happened. Kushina decided to herself that as the "older, more mature" half of the pair, that it was her duty to bring this up with him and talk about it.

"Kame-kun?" Kushina began.

"Yes, Saru-hime?" Naruto responded with a smirk, thoroughly enjoying the blush that he had managed to bring forth in Kushina's cheeks.

"I think there's something we need to talk about," she answered. Given the nature of the jabs they had been taking at each other, Naruto already had an idea of what she wanted to discuss, but chose to wait for her to actually put it out there. He responded with a nod, prompting her to continue.

"I think it's fun for us to tease each other like this, but you know as well as I do that a problem is starting to develop, here. We're both becoming sexually agitated, and if we don't talk about this and decide what it means, either one of us could end up doing something we might regret. So, just to put it out there, do you have any intentions towards me of a sexual nature?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow and gave a knowing smirk, "Blunt and direct, as always…I find myself liking that about you more and more…" his features settled into a thoughtful frown, "…since you asked, yes and no. Yes, I find you to be very sexually attractive and enticing, and I'm rather drawn to the idea of exploring a relationship of a more romantic nature with you. No, I don't yet trust you enough to let you in to that part of my heart and life yet. I would want more than a one-night stand with you, seeing as we are going to be living together, and frankly, I think you are deserving of far greater consideration than that. Is that a fair answer?"

Kushina, without any hint of surprise, nodded with a smile, "Yes, it is, and thank you for such…genuine compliments. Well, seeing as you were honest with me, I'll be honest with you as well: as strange and awkward as it feels for me to admit it, I'm just as interested as you are at attempting to have a romantic relationship with you. But at the same time, even though we don't share a mother/son-type bond, you're still my son, biologically…"

"Actually, I'm not, anymore," Naruto interrupted.

Kushina frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well…" Naruto began, before thinking about what he hadn't told her before back at the Valley of the End, "…this relates to the scar tissue across my upper body. I'll give you the quick and dirty: I was in a battle as part of a Samurai platoon a couple of years ago. My entire chest cavity was completely blown off my body…and no, I'm not exaggerating."

Kushina just stared in shock as he told his story, "Do you remember back in Danzo's office when I'd told Yuriko that I'd had to travel farther with worse?"

She nodded dumbly, prompting him to expound on his reason for asking that question, "That was the 'worse' I'd had to travel with, and I had to travel almost two hundred miles while in the process of healing and regenerating to report back to my commander at the time. Kyu essentially created organ constructs of solidified youki to hold me together and provide an artificial framework for my body so that blood could continue flowing between my upper and lower body, and also so I could breathe, as both by heart and lungs were gone. The thing is that she had to transform me into a demon in order for me to live through it…so I'm no longer your son from a genetic standpoint, because I'm no longer even human."

Kushina felt instinctive fear begin to rise from her gut. Naruto, seeing this, addressed her fears, "Kushi-chan, being a demon doesn't make me a monster; the two aren't the same. A monster is someone or something that takes pleasure in committing atrocities or in hurting and killing others. A demon is simply a different species of creature than a human being, much the same way that a wolf is different from a hawk. I'm a demon; Minato's a monster. You have nothing to fear from me…at least not under normal circumstances."

This caused her to breathe a little easier, "OK, I guess that clears up that little…misunderstanding. Errm…so, what does your being a demon mean, exactly?"

"I'm guessing that you're talking about the differences between demons and humans and how that specifically relates to me?"

At Kushina's nod, he answered, "Well, I'm essentially immortal, now – though I can be killed as I'm still quite weak as far as demons go…as time passes, I will grow almost infinitely stronger, though that'll take several centuries, maybe even millennia. I feel certain urges and impulses far more strongly now than I did as a human, such as the urge to mate and the urge to kill, though I've trained myself to control and master those urges to an incredible degree. The…sexual agitation that you feel – I feel that at probably twenty times the intensity that you do…" Kushina's eyes went wide at this as she gasped in surprise, "…but you wouldn't know that by looking at me, as I've spent time getting used to the intensity of these urges to such a degree that I can keep them from affecting me…indefinitely, if need be. But you'd want to steer clear of me if I ever find myself in a berserker state in battle because I still have some difficulty telling friend from foe in that circumstance…with time and practice, I should get a better handle on my bloodlust."

Kushina continued to stare in astonishment for a while before she shook her head and found her voice once more, "Well, that makes our…physical kinship…a non-issue, then. So I guess that leaves just one question: what can I do to earn enough of your trust to make it possible for us to explore a romantic relationship?"

"I'll just need to watch you and get to know you for a while; how you behave in my home, how well you respect me and mine, things like that, Saru-chan. Or…would you prefer I stop calling you that for the time being?"

"No, that's fine…" she replied with a warm smile, "…actually talking about this has helped take the edge off. For me, it was not knowing where this was going or what to expect that was putting me on edge."

Naruto just smiled in return, "OK, then. I'm alright with where things are, right now, so you don't need to worry about me."

"Very well, Kame-_**koi**_…I won't…" Kushina retorted, teasing him once more as she began to walk off with a sway in her hips. She stopped and turned her body slightly, so she could look back over her shoulder and give him a sultry wink and smile before adding, "…you know, I'd leave my husband for you…" she then gasped in an exaggerated manner while widening her eyes and bringing her hand up to her mouth, "…oh wait…I already did…" and with that, she began to prance away with a light laugh.

Naruto sighed, musing to himself, _'Well, I guess I did ask for that, calling her Saru-hime and all…' _wondering if telling he that he was fine with her teasing was such a good idea, after all.

To both Naruto and Kushina's surprise, a voice that hadn't been heard since leaving the safehouse made itself known, **"Kame-kun, Saru-chan…I want a pet nickname, too!"**

"Kyu! Hey, how are you feeling, now?" Naruto asked curiously, also garnering Kushina's attention.

"**Much better, now that I've rested, Kame-kun,"** Kyu responded, **"So…abo****ut that pet nickname?"**

Kushina, still somewhat wary of Kyuubi, decided to test the waters a little, "Well…how about…Kitsune-chan?" Or Kitsu-chan for short?"

"**Hmm…I think I like it…"** Kyu responded, **"…thank you, Saru-chan. You see? I'm really not so bad o****nce you get to know me, am I?"**

Kushina seemed to become downcast at this, "No…I, err…I guess not."

"Hey, you two," Naruto interjected, "This is water under the bridge, now. So, how about a clean slate between the two of you, as well, huh?"

"**I have no problem with that, Kame-kun. Saru-chan?"**

Kushina smiled awkwardly, "I guess I have no problem with that either…Kitsu-chan. So, friends?"

"**Friends,"** replied Kyuubi, though a knowing smirk could almost be heard in her voice.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Finally tired?" questioned Bear as the girl hadn't stopped bouncing along the trees and branches for three days without rest. Hell, he was tired and even the others were dragging their feet.

"I am starting to come down a little," replied Kana before landing on the ground below, "I'm taking a nap."

"Kana-sama, it's time for your injection," stated the medic nin that accompanied the platoon. Bear's skin crawled every time he looked at or heard the medic; not one who spent much time in hospitals or in need of medical treatment, he'd developed a bit of superstition regarding medical professionals.

"Huh? Oh, right, I guess that's why I'm feeling tired all of a sudden…go ahead," said the blond girl, blinking as she had forgotten about that.

The medic walked over to her and withdrew an injection gun from his medkit. He also took out a small vial full of a purplish fluid and attached it to the gun. Bear shivered a bit as the medic injected the entirety of the vial's contents into the girl's neck. Very rarely did he ever see a shot go into someone's neck, and his superstitions, as well as his phobia of needles, didn't make the sight of it any easier on him.

As the medic was injecting whatever substance was in that vial into their young charge, he looked at the others and said, "Let's set up camp for the night," before he started sorting out camp duties to his personnel.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Two days later found Kushina and Naruto having another intriguing conversation while relaxing around their campfire.

"Kame-kun…I've been thinking about something."

"Please share."

"Well, I think that it might behoove you to learn some ninjutsu…"

"No…" Naruto interrupted quickly, "…I'm not a shinobi; I don't want to be a shinobi."

"It's not jutsu that make shinobi, Kame-kun; it's what they do with those jutsu and the philosophy that they live by. I use a katana just like you do, for example. Does that make use of a katana strictly a shinobi or samurai skill?"

Naruto looked down as he pondered her point, "I suppose you're right; I'm not sure what use I would have for ninjutsu, though."

"Well, let me ask you this: if you could do anything more easily, or in less time, what might it be? What are some of the frustrations you experience from day-to-day existence?"

Naruto hummed as he pondered that question before answering a few moments later, "Well, I guess if I could have things my way, I'd like to be able to get things done faster: you know, learning things, building things, performing research, stuff like that."

Kushina smiled knowingly, "Perfect. What do you know about the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?"

Naruto frowned in thought, "Not much: I know that it creates solid clones of the user that can be dispelled in one hit, so that wouldn't be of any real use to me."

"You think so, huh?" Kushina asked in a knowing, almost smug tone. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he studied his traveling companion, prompting her to answer, "The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was originally created for recon purposes. Anything that a Kage Bunshin learns, it sends back to the user when it dispels."

Naruto raised an intrigued eyebrow at this; Kushina smiled to herself victoriously, seeing that she had his attention as she continued, "Now…imagine being able to learn ten times as quickly because you and nine Kage Bunshins are all learning at the same time. Imagine being able to build with a perfectly-coordinated team, and remembering exactly what each person on that team did, because when they dispel it's as though you did all of the building, yourself. And that's not just in learning from books or through research. Skills can be learned and the learning of them accelerated in the same manner. The only thing you couldn't use a Kage Bunshin for would be physical training, but chakra skills and muscle memory? Those things can be accelerated by using Kage Bunshins."

"I have drones and such for that kind of assistance…"

"But can those drones implant that knowledge directly into your brain, as though you did exactly what they did yourself? I'm guessing that no matter how well you build those drones, they can't do as good a job as you can…am I right?"

Naruto allowed himself a small smile, "Yes…I see where that would be handy. OK, you've managed to sell the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu on me. I'll learn it some time."

"Also…" Kushina continued, "…your technology is amazing, but you might find yourself in a situation where all you have to work with is your chakra. Maybe your medkit gets destroyed in the field or something – in that case, medical ninjutsu could be a lifesaver; if not for you, then for your traveling companions."

"You, for instance?" Naruto asked with a knowing smirk.

"Well…yeah, among others," Kushina answered with sheepish honesty, "but at the same time, maybe you're traveling with Itachi, or Mikoto, or that Mito woman."

"I've neither seen nor heard head nor tail from any of them since I destroyed my base in Nami," he admitted somewhat subduedly.

"My point is…" Kushina replied, "…that you may or may not have traveling companions with you that would find themselves in need of medical care, and you may have to give it there on the spot. And I'm not just talking about medical ninjutsu; you can add elemental manipulation to your attacks through your blade, you can add strength and speed to your fighting…"

"Saru-chan?" interrupted Naruto, bringing Kushina's 'sales pitch' to a halt.

"Yeah?"

"Baby steps, huh? I can see how the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu would be handy for me, and as I said, I'll learn that one, but…let's leave discussion about the others for some other time."

Kushina gave a sheepish grin and scratched the back of her head, "Err…sure, Kame-kun."

Kushina let that particular topic go, but suddenly remembered something that they had talked about back at the safehouse, "Kame-kun?"

Naruto turned his gaze to her.

"You said that you would tell me about your night with Yuriko once we were away from the safehouse."

"So I did," Naruto responded, "Well, I went into her room, we played the 'fllirt and seduce' game, and I said a few things to invoke a few…extreme emotional responses from her before leaving."

"O…kay," she responded, her confusion evident.

"Remember how we talked about bringing her to our side? I believe that awakening certain…latent emotional responses and getting her to question who she is…is a crucially important part of such an endeavor. That was all I did when I went into her room. By the time I left, she was scared and agitated because I had made her question certain foundational beliefs that form her overall philosophy. Unless I miss my guess, she's probably beginning to change the way she sees things already."

Kushina nodded, impressed at Naruto's seeming ability to manipulate a person's thinking to such a degree, "Well, I hope that your plan works, Kame-kun."

"I think it will, Saru-hime. I think it will."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The next five days of traveling finally took the pair west of Hi no Kuni. Now in Tori no Kuni, halfway between Konoha and the Wastes, the last five days had been largely uneventful. Their conversation had been much lighter and better-natured, and while their teasing persisted, they both found themselves actually getting to know each other quite well. They had both welcomed this phenomenon at first, but the quietude started to bring with it a certain degree of paranoia. It was **too** quiet – it was like the calm before a storm, and it put Kushina on edge. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed to be fairly relaxed.

As they made camp on the fifth night, Kushina began, "Kame-kun?"

"Yeah, Saru-chan?"

"This just occurred to me, but we've been moving kind of slowly, and you haven't exactly been covering your tracks very well."

"What of it?" Naruto asked, a little too nonchalantly for Kushina's liking.

"We're walking beacons for a well-trained ANBU squad right now," she answered somewhat worriedly.

"That's the idea."

"Err…what?"

"I imagine that Minato's none too happy with me right now; probably none too happy with you, either. I would anticipate him sending **someone** after us."

"So, then…why leave them a trail to follow?"

"Because I want to send him a message. I want him to know that I'm in no way, shape or form afraid of him. He can send as many people as he wants to after me – I frankly don't care; I'll deal with all of them, and I'll do it in such a way that he'll have no doubts as to what happened to them."

Kushina sighed in resignation, knowing that he wasn't going to change his mind, and that she could easily defend herself in most situations.

"Besides…" Naruto added with a playful smile, "…maybe I want a little payback for getting knocked around with a barbed metal pipe."

"Ahh…" Kushina responded facetiously, "…so the truth comes out, at last, huh?"

"What?" he asked in that same playful manner, "Just because I'm not a human anymore doesn't mean I can't engage in human pettiness, now, does it, Saru-chan? And just because I can't die anywhere near as easily as humans can doesn't mean that it didn't hurt. Don't you think I'm entitled…even a little itsy bitsy teeny weeny bit?" he finished his question by holding his thumb and forefinger out with just a little space between them, indicating something very small.

Kushina sighed, also in a playful manner, "Yes, Kame-kun, I suppose so."

"Thank you, Saru-hime. If you can finish setting up camp, I'll go collect some firewood."

Naruto began to move away from the campsite before stopping and turning back around, "Oh…and don't forget to keep an eye out, huh?"

Kushina just waved him off without looking back at him. Naruto took the hint and left.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Kana-sama…" whispered Bear as they finally caught up with the demon and Kushina, "…there they are."

It hadn't been that hard to pick up their trail. They made no effort to hide their tracks; they probably figured that they would be too far away for any pursuers to follow them effectively. Bear and the others had reasoned that Naruto had underestimated them, a mistake he would pay for with his life!

"And it does not look like Kushina-sama is under genjutsu or being forced to do anything, Kana-sama," Bear added, looking at the girl and frowning behind his mask.

Kana seemed enraged, shocked and…ready to explode, as though she was on a hair-trigger.

"Capture her…" she growled out angrily, "…and kill the demon when he returns!"

Bear found her anger a bit…misplaced, or rather too intense, but shrugged it off. Capturing Kushina wouldn't be too hard since the demon wasn't here at the moment, and then killing him, while it might be difficult, wouldn't be as hard as it would be with Kushina free.

"Tenzo," said Bear, turning to the Tiger-masked ANBU behind him. Out of every ANBU he knew, Tenzo scared him a little. He wasn't sure why, but he did.

"Use your Mokuton and capture her, as soon as you see an opening" he ordered calmly.

Tenzo nodded. Bear gave the capture order to the rest of his platoon with a hand gesture, and the rest of them proceeded to attack the redhead that was a few short maters away from them.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

As Kushina set their tent up and began to move logs and stones into position for their campsite, her danger sense suddenly alerted her to an incoming attack. She draw her katana and immediately deflected a kunai thrown her way. She added chakra to her muscles to increase her strength and speed as suddenly, several squads of Konoha ANBU all came out and stormed her at once.

Kushina kicked and slashed this way and that, defending herself while trying to keep from inflicting lethal injuries on her assailants, admirably keeping them at bay. She shifted her body just to the left and struck the overextended ANBU on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious.

'_This whole situation is strange; why send an entire ANBU platoon?'_

The second ANBU, kicked so hard in the gut by Kushina before she even got close enough to attempt a strike, flew backwards and crumpled in the dirt fifteen feet away.

'_I've never heard of this many ANBU being sent on a search and retrieval mission, especially not across foreign borders; Minato must want us both back in the village VERY badly to tax Konoha's ANBU division in such a way!'_

Two ANBU tried to attack her in a pincer formation, but Kushina quickly bent at the waist, performing a handstand while extending her legs in a perfect split, hitting both ANBU at the same time, before righting herself, and quickly elbowing one in the neck while sending an open-palm strike into the other one's chin, sending him flying in the air while the one behind her collapsed in a fit of coughs. Kushina then turned and struck him right in the forehead, knocking him cold.

'_Why wouldn't any of them be using ninjutsu to provide long-range support?'_ she asked herself, when suddenly her eyes went wide in realization,_ 'Unless they're a distraction!'_

She quickly crouched, tensing her legs and readying herself to jump into the air so she could get a better view of the battlefield, but just before she jumped, she saw the last person she expected to see with a full ANBU platoon. She gasped as she saw the golden-blonde hair and diminutive frame of her daughter, causing her to hesitate for just a millisecond. That millisecond of hesitation was all one particular Tora-masked ANBU needed; Kushina suddenly felt several vines wrap around her arms and legs, and then around her torso, yanking her backwards into a tree and binding her there rather uncomfortably.

"OK, we got her!" shouted Kana at the ANBU there with her, "Now, find the demon so Tenzo can subdue him!"

"Kana?" Kushina exclaimed, having recovered from her surprise, "What are you doing out here with an ANBU platoon?"

"Don't worry Kaa-san, we're taking you away from the demon. I'm an ANBU Captain now, so I'm more resistant to the demon's powers than you are! I'll make sure you're OK!" Kana answered in a condescending tone that infuriated the bound Kushina.

"Young lady, when I get free, you're getting the beating of a lifetime," Kushina growled out in promise.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A/N: The next chapter should be... fun in all sense of the word, well depending on how you view 'fun' I guess.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Well here's the next chapter. I do hope you enjoy it...

And as always alot of the credit goes to: ncpfan

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

After retrieving sufficient firewood for the night, Naruto returned to the campsite. To his surprise, he saw an entire platoon of ANBU swarming the area, with Kushina bound in vines and wood to a tree.

_'OK, I didn't anticipate a full platoon of twenty ANBU to be sent after us – this is certainly unprecedented,'_ he mused to himself as he stayed in the shadows, scanning the group and trying to get a better idea of what he was up against.

When he saw Kana, apparently giving the ANBU orders, he narrowed his eyes,_ 'Does Minato-teme's lunacy and idiocy know no bounds? Not only does he send an entire platoon of ANBU on an extended-length mission, but he sends his daughter into what he would certainly believe to be a very dangerous situation!'_

Thinking on the situation more, he drew the only logical conclusion, _'She must have been sent as a distraction for Saru-chan, knowing that she wouldn't attack her own daughter, and that seeing her out here would likely cause her to hesitate,'_ he finished as he dropped the wood he was holding, begrudgingly applauding Minato for an excellent tactic, even if it was a disgusting one. He moved out into the open and prepared for battle.

"Here's the brat," said one of the ANBU.

"Get him," he ordered, and several ANBU responded by tackling him to the ground.

"_People die; It doesn't matter to you,"_ stated a voice in the back of Naruto's head coldly, in an almost reptilian manner, _"It doesn't matter."_

_'You're wrong; it does matter,'_ replied Naruto ignoring everything outside of his mind.

"_I'm not wrong,"_ sang the voice calmly, in a taunting fashion.

_'You __**are**__ wrong!'_ shouted Naruto back at the voice. Even though it only made a slight difference to him, he did care about the deaths he caused when using **that**, especially since he felt every death around him within a five-hundred-meter radius.

"_Everyone…everything…every life; all yours to toy with…"_ stated the voice as it adopted a stern, serious tone, _"…release it. Open up, kill, destroy…until everything disappears before your very eyes!"_

Naruto screamed out in pain as his eyes went slitted and red, a small blue swirl appeared in his pupils as well. The pained scream turned into laughter after a few moments.

"What the hell is your problem?" questioned an ANBU, looking at him as though he went insane.

"Don't know why Hokage-sama thought it would be hard to ca-" the man never finished his sentence as his head disintegrated into a bloody mush.

"Don't defy me. Your molecules shall scatter like sand," stated Naruto coldly, not even blinking from the gore that he had apparently…spoken into being! The man's upper torso then disintegrated like his head did, spreading his insides throughout the air like a fine red vapor.

"W-what did you do?" questioned Bear, now scared out of his mind as Naruto killed one of his men merely by speaking. Naruto only laughed in response as he stood up. The other ANBU had scattered away from him and took a battle formation.

"Kill the demon quickly before he slaughters us all!" Bear shouted as he and the other started doing hand signs.

"Katon: Gokakyou no Jutsu!" shouted all of the ANBU around Naruto in unison, enveloping him in a burning blaze of fire. Kushina watched on, horrified as they had incinerated Naruto before her very eyes. She began to shed tears as she believed that he was gone…and with him, her only chance to ever get to know him. The ANBU stopped spewing forth their fireballs in order to inspect their handiwork…only to freeze in terror when they could see the area that they had previously lit ablaze. When the flames disappeared, Kushina's tears stopped, and her mouth dropped in astonished awe. She could do naught but gape as Naruto stood there…unharmed…with a bored look on his face.

Raising his hands to both sides and extending his fingers as widely as possible, he spoke coldly, "Release."

As he did this, red beams shot out of his fingertips, shooting straight at Bear and the other ANBU around him, liquifying their heads. Their bodies dropped around Kushina, who continued gaping, only holding the contents of her stomach down through the experiences that she had been through during the times when she had been to war on the front lines.

"A K-Kami," stammered the single remaining ANBU Captain, quaking in utter horror at seeing the blond slaughter five ANBU in less than a second. Naruto turned his head towards the ANBU Captain, who he now recognized as Tenzo. A sinister smirk crept across his features as he pictured what he was about to do.

"No Tenzo…I am no Kami…" stated Naruto, his voice still cold and hollow, "…I bring forth nothing. I bless nothing. I save nothing." he brought his hand in front of Tenzo's face, "…I just erase…completely."

Feeding off of the ANBU Captain's terror, he commanded, "Shatter."

Another red beam burst forth from his hand, obliterating Tenzo's body, except for his legs that landed next to Kushina who was covered in the ANBU Captain's blood, beginning to feel somewhat nauseous. As Tenzo's life had ended, so had his jutsu – Kushina's bindings disappeared, and she collapsed to the ground and started to massage the joints in her shoulders and hips that had been slightly overextended. Kana was over in the bushes, vomiting violently at the gruesome images, sounds and scents that were overwhelming her sensitivities. The rest of the ANBU were already fleeing in any direction they could run.

Naruto raised his hand straight up and commanded, "Break!"

The bodies of a group of fleeing ANBU were torn to shreds which fell harmlessly to the ground.

Three ANBU attacked him all at once, hoping against hope to get the drop on this…force of nature.

Naruto looked at one and growled, "Disappear!"

His target was pulled apart by an unseen force.

He turned to the other two in quick succession and said, "Collapse. Burst."

At his command, the last two conscious ANBU both perished, the first one squished into nothing, his body making sickening popping sounds and it compressed in on itself, while the second one exploded, gore showering everything, including Naruto, Kushina and Kana, who was now quivering in the fetal position. Feeling Kyuubi's prompting, Naruto closed his eyes, breathing heavily, both from the exertion of what he had just done, and in an effort to calm himself down. Kushina stared at Naruto, remembering what he had told her about steering clear when he was in a berserker state.

"Kame-koi?" she asked softly, hoping that the term of endearment would serve to calm him down, fearful of what he might do, "Are…are you alright, now?"

Naruto opened his eyes and looked Kushina's way. Noticing that his eyes had returned to normal, her fear began to subside. He walked her way and began to help her to her feet.

"As I told you earlier," Naruto responded calmly, "I _allowed_ myself to be captured by Konoha. Even if I'm dying, I'm still a hundred times stronger than anyone else, and I hope my little demonstration cast any doubts you might have about that aside."

Kushina simply nodded, still reeling from the shock of what she had just seen. Finding her voice, she asked slowly, quietly and deliberately, "What was that you just did?"

"I don't want to talk about it, right now," Naruto answered tiredly. He let Kushina go once he had helped her find her balance as she tried to work her joints back into place from the uncomfortable stretching. Kushina made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Naruto smirked and tried to lighten the mood, "So the monkey was bound by the very vines that she uses to swing her way through the trees, huh?"

Knowing him well enough to realize what he was trying to do, she responded, "Only because the turtle took his sweet time poking around and dragging himself along," she finished, sticking her tongue out at him.

Naruto chuckled in response, knowing that she was alright, before adding, "For a second, there, I thought that maybe you had decided to turn into a tree…" Kushina glared at that analogy, "…but I prefer to think of you as…" Naruto gave her a genuine smile, "…a beautiful flower…or even a marble statue of Amaterasu…polished to perfection and without blemish…inlaid with gold."

Kushina's glare turned into beaming happiness at that. A blush covered her face as she began to feel overwhelmed at his new analogy. Recovering after a few moments, she looked around and was reminded of the recently christened battlefield that was their campsite.

Looking at him and gushing bashfully, she asked shyly, "Will you…tell me that again…when we're in a…more appropriate setting?"

Naruto looked around and grimaced in mild embarrassment before turning back to Kushina with a sheepish laugh, "Err…sure…sorry about that."

Naruto's expression turned serious as he voiced his observations, "You took down four of them before Tenzo got you…not bad!"

"Well, err…thanks," Kushina responded, before admitting embarrassedly, "…I would have gotten more if I hadn't been thrown for a loop for a tenth of a second when I spotted Kana."

"I'm willing to bet that's exactly why the half-pint was sent with this team…" Naruto offered, not able to fault her for such a reaction, "…even if it is a despicable tactic on Minato-teme's part, I can't deny that it was effective. Even I didn't anticipate that he'd sink so low as to put his 'precious little daughter' in harm's way like this."

Kushina gave her hypothesis, "More likely, she heard what happened and ran off on her own, and Minato-teme just found a way to make the best of her stupidity. She's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, you know."

"Yeah, you're right. But still…" Naruto pondered, "…to send an entire ANBU platoon on a search and retrieval mission…into foreign jurisdiction, no less?"

He looked around the area once more. Seeing that Kana had apparently passed out, he focused the the four unconscious, and still living, ANBU. He noted that one of them had the Konoha medical insignia on his chestplate.

"A medical ANBU? Why would a medical ANBU be part of a mission of this nature?" Naruto mused, the mystery seeming to grow as he pondered this extreme situation. Naruto decided that it would be good to interrogate the ANBU that were still living. He immediately began to use his chakra to write seals onto the bodies of the ANBU in order to seal their chakra before taking them and hogtying them so they couldn't move and he would have to move them. He went back to the medical ANBU and began to search him.

His ears detected a small, girlish groan. Naruto continued his search of the medical ANBU, while Kushina turned to see Kana Uzumaki Namikaze apparently returning to consciousness. While Naruto continued his frisking of the medic, his thoughts turned towards how to handle his little sister.

_'Hmm…should I obliterate her? No, Saru-chan would beat the hell out of me. Spank her? Probably should but…nahh. And lastly…should I just kick her ass? Hmm…that'll work,'_ a smile crept across his face at the pleasant thought of teaching the girl a little humility.

"Demon!" shouted Kana angrily, "You took and tricked Kaa-san, you killed everyone else…I'll kill you!" She drew the blade she carried on her back and charged him with a loud battle cry. Naruto didn't even bother to stop his search of the downed medic to acknowledge that he'd heard her. He did stop, however, when he heard what sounded like wrappings whipping this way and that. Bringing his gaze up to see what was happening, he saw that Kushina was producing what appeared to be chains of chakra from her body, wrapping them around Kana's body and using them to bind her to the same tree that Tenzo had bound Kushina herself to.

Naruto raised a curious eyebrow and gave an intrigued smirk, "That's a neat trick, Saru-chan."

She turned to him with a smile, and after a few moments, he continued, "As thoughtful as that was, though, I really didn't need the help; I had the situation under control."

"Oh, I know…" she responded, before she created a Kage Bunshin to take over keeping the chains active. She turned back to Naruto, adopting a smirk that was just as bemused as his own, "…but, my dear Kame-kun…who said that this was all about you?"

His curiosity now piqued, he began to study her carefully. Kushina explained, "I just got tied up, restrained and used like something covered in stickers. That doesn't sit well with me. Besides, Kana here needs her first _spanking_ for talking to me like I was a five year old before you came back from finding firewood," she turned an angry glare at Kana, who was staring at Kushina in fear, anger and surprise at the prospect of being disciplined.

Kana and Naruto both watched as Kushina picked up the sword that Kana dropped when she was yanked back to the tree. Kushina placed the forefinger and middle finger of her right hand around the blade, and snapped the blade at the hilt…with just two fingers.

Naruto, now genuinely surprised, thought to himself, _'That's very…frightening. To think that she's __**that**__ strong…'_

He continued to study her, slight fear now coating his surprise. Kana simply looked terrified that Kushina, who was strong enough to snap a sword blade with two fingers, was going to take the strength that was in those fingers and hands…and use that strength to spank her!

"I forged this sword, myself," said Kushina confidently as she gripped the blade of the sword using her fingertips and thumb tip so as not to cut herself on the edge, "I know how to break them, too. I always give Kana the faulty swords because she ruins the good ones."

Naruto nodded as he could see proof in her hand. Kana looked both shocked and hurt that her mother didn't trust her with a good blade, despite the fact that she'd been told by Kushina on many occasions that she was not to bring her blades out of the village on real missions. She now knew why she'd been told that. Naruto looked at Kana, amused at the fact that he couldn't tell what shocked the girl more: the fact that she was given blades not fit for real field use, or the fact that her mother was about to spank her.

"Kaa-san, let me GO!" Kana yelled at the top of her lungs.

"That, I think, will be enough of that," Naruto responded as he turned his gaze to Kana, and promptly vanished…to appear at Kana's left and chop her to the neck, knocking her out cold.

He turned back to Kushina, "Sorry about that – all of this chaos and anger is making my demonic side a bit antsy, and Kyu's…well, Kyu's in her own little blood-filled world right now due to snapping me out of what you saw earlier, so for the time being, I need to take a little more care than usual."

Kushina simply nodded, "OK, I'll take your word for that. Do you…want me to take her somewhere else…a little father out of your way, while you…get yourself cleaned up and finish what you're doing?"

"I'd appreciate that, Saru-hime. Have I told you how beautiful I think you are?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Well, not so directly, but you've certainly gotten your point across in different ways…and you're quite handsome, yourself, if I might say so," she responded with a sly, sultry wink.

"Thanks!" Naruto offered with a smile, "Well, I'm going to get a fire going so we can start dinner."

Kushina signaled her clone to release the chains binding Kana. The clone complied, causing Kana to slump to the ground. Kushina, still quite angry with her daughter, grabbed her by the hair and dragged her away, allowing her body to bounce against various roots and rocks along her chosen path, her clone following them in order to reset he chains once they found a safer spot for Kana's outbursts.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Naruto continued searching the medical ANBU's body once he'd dragged him away from the campsite so that he could work in peace while staying away from Kana. The man didn't have the standard self-immolation gear on his person, so Naruto didn't have to relieve him of it.

'_Minato-teme probably thought that this contingent would be enough to subdue us, the moron.' _He thought to himself, once more sickened at the man's arrogance.

Continuing his search of the medic's gear, he came across an extensive ANBU medkit. Opening it up, he could see soldier pills, blood replenishment pills, bandages, even forceps, needles and sutures for emergency surgery, should it be required. There were also several different syringes of different sizes and volume capacities. What really surprised him, however, were the four full vials of a purplish fluid that he knew all too well, and it angered him to see it once again.

Naruto quickly ripped off the medic's mask, revealing the face of a man with dark brown hair, who, by his reckoning, had probably seen a good number of years of service in the field, if the flecks of gray in his stubble and the harsh, weathered skin on his face were anything to go by. He groaned lightly as he began to return to consciousness.

Naruto quickly went to work, pulled out a seal brush preloaded with ink from a seal on his forearm, and started painting furiously on the man's forehead. After a few seconds, he pulled the brush away, extended his fingers until they were mere millimeters from his newly-painted kanji and muttered, "Seal!"

The seal quickly began to glow a purplish-white before it faded into its original black, but dry this time, with some additional designs extending outward from the original painting. He then proceeded to pull out a significant length of chakra-resistant rope. He grabbed the medic by the scruff of his shirt, forcefully pushed him onto the tree, and quickly used to rope to tie him up so that he could begin his interrogation.

All of the jostling around had brought the middle-aged medical ANBU to full alertness, but by the time he had regained his bearings, he was bound tight, unable to break free, and unable to mold any chakra.

"Trying to mold any chakra is waste of time and energy for you; I've sealed yours away," Naruto informed him.

He brought his gaze up to his captor and glared at him with all of the anger and hatred he could muster.

"Glare all you want, I don't care. But I am going to ask you some questions of you, and you're going to answer me."

"I'm an ANBU – do your worst, demon," he spat at him.

Naruto simply touched him on the cheek with a single finger. Before long, he began to feel his insides heating up. Not much longer after that, steam, and even some smoke, started to rise from his body. He started twitching, grunting and groaning in pain the likes of which he'd never before experienced. After thirty seconds, Naruto let up.

"What you just experienced was my allowing just a small amount of youki into your chakra coils and organs. Doesn't exactly feel good, does it?"

The medic, who was gasping and panting after being relieved of the excruciating pain he had experienced from Naruto, looked back up at him, the anger in his eyes now laced with slight fear.

Naruto continued, "I'm going to be courteous and give you the opportunity to learn from experiencing that. To let you know, I can do far, far worse than that, and I can also make sure you stay alive and conscious while I do that, even though the body would normally die from a fraction of the pain I'm capable of inflicting…"

"You'll never get anything out of me, monster!" he spat back out at him, interrupting his impromptu lecture.

Naruto sighed and asked rhetorically, "Why do you Konoha idiots always want to do it the hard way?"

"Allow me to save you some time, Naruto-san," a familiar female voice offered from Naruto's right. Naruto turned to said voice and found himself smiling with surprise to see an ally he hadn't been expecting to see for quite some time. Even with her ROOT mask on, he could recognize the woman's hair color and style…and the uncommonly-generous endowments of the woman who'd played hostess to him and Kushina a couple of weeks back.

"Yuriko-san," he greeted, "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Indeed," she responded, "I'm afraid Kana-san forced Danzo-sama's hand, and I was sent out to monitor the situation and if need be perform some damage control. I'm also here to assist you with Kana-san."

"Wait a minute, you're a Konoha ROOT ANBU? Why are you here to help this demon?" Naruto's current prisoner asked the woman upon seeing Konoha's insignia on her ROOT mask.

Yuriko simply responded by unsheathing her Tanto and hurling it at him. The tanto went through his forehead, pinning his head to the tree through the back of his skull.

Naruto, angered that his source of information had been killed, was about to round on Yuriko, but stopped as she explained herself, "You would have ended up killing him anyway, and I can almost certainly provide you with any information you were trying to get out of him, and then some."

Naruto growled out a response through gritted teeth, "I was also going to allow him to return to Konoha so that he could report what he'd seen to Minato-teme."

"Another issue that you need not concern yourself with," she retorted evenly, "I bore witness to the entire encounter, and I'll send a written report to Danzo-sama. He will likely tell Hokage-sama that I was dispatched to monitor his ANBU Team and his daughter, and that I was to send my account back so that news of what happened would reach Konoha if the ANBU were all eliminated…which they are now about to be."

Yuriko walked up to the medic she had just killed and yanked her tanto out of his head, causing the lifeless head to slump over. She then proceeded to slit the throats of the remaining hogtied ANBU rather casually before wiping her tanto clean on one of the dead ANBU's pants and resheathing it.

Turning to Naruto once more, she asked him, "Now…what did you want to know from him?"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Kana groaned as she opened her eyes once again, returning to consciousness. Trying to shake her head loose from her disorientation, she fixed her eyes on the blur of white, black and red in front of her that seemed to resemble a woman.

"Waking up again, I see…" she heard the voice of her mother say to her.

Her eyes came into focus to see her mother's face, set into a stern, flinty visage that gave her the shivers. The cold, angry glare in Kushina's eyes was also rather alien to her. Nervous about what her mother was going to do, Kana began to struggle, trying to loosen her bindings and break free.

"Don't bother, young lady; you'll never get out of those chains until I release them," Kushina said coldly.

"Now…" Kushina's voice became angrier, "…why are you here? And what is going on in that stupid, idiotic little head of yours, believing that you could take Naruto on by yourself?"

Kana growled at the question before answering in what appeared to be a grimace, "I **can** take him on! I'm Minato Namikaze's daughter! I can take on anyone!"

"And yet, here you are, now: bound, tied up, smelling of the puke that you spread all over the place when you saw what Naruto was capable of doing…" Kushina stopped as Kana's grimace became more pronounced and her growls grew louder.

"Kana, calm down so we can continue talking," Kushina ordered firmly. The girl's growls actually grew louder in response as she started shaking her head back and forth, a wild look seeming to set her eyes ablaze. Kushina walked up to her daughter and flicked her hard on the forehead.

"OW!" Kana cried out as her mother's finger flicked her, though this did serve to have the desired effect of calming her. Kana fixed her gaze on Kushina once more, surprise now added to her expression.

"Okay, now that you're back with me, answer my question: why…are…you…here?" Kushina spelled the question out slowly this time, hoping Kana would understand by her tone that she meant business.

Kana started growling again, but this time her growls came out in words, "I'm here to rescue you from that monster! I knew that you…"

"Kana-chan, be quiet!" Kushina interrupted forcefully, surprising the girl, "There's no rescue to perform. I freed Naru-kun from his imprisonment in Konoha of my own volition. I am here with him of my own volition. And just who the hell do you think you are talking to me like I'm a helpless invalid?"

Kana's shock and anger rose with each admission by her mother in her collaboration with that monster that wore human skin!

"You helped that **devil?** So you really **did betray me?**" Kana yelled out at her mother as she tried to process what would possess her mother to do such a thing. Before Kana could continue her tirade, Kushina grabbed Kana's cheeks in one hand, squeezing hard and causing her words to come out as nothing more than mumbles.

Once Kana stopped, Kushina, who hadn't released her grip on Kana's face, responded, "Watch your tone when talking to me, young lady! I won't tell you again!"

Kana's anger became laced with fear at her mother's warning. Seeing that Kana's eyes showed that she was becoming near-hysterical, Kushina decided to take a page out of Naruto's book…and chopped Kana hard to the neck, sending her back into unconsciousness.

Letting go of Kana's face and allowing her head to droop, Kushina grumbled to herself, "How did I ever put up with this little piece of work I call a daughter?"

"That, my dear Saru-hime, is one of the Mysteries of the Universe which may be unsolvable…" she heard Naruto reply playfully.

Kushina laughed at Naruto's answer as she turned around…only to stop laughing and gasp when she saw a familiar unmasked ROOT ANBU approaching alongside Naruto.

"Good evening, Kushina-dono. It's a pleasure, as always," Yuriko greeted the redhead in a flat yet cordial tone.

"And to you as well, Yuriko-san," Kushina responded, recovering from her surprise, "I'm surprised to see you here."

Yuriko proceeded, "As I explained to Naruto-san, Hokage-sama forced Danzo-sama's hand by allowing Kana-san here to chase after you and sending an entire platoon of ANBU to watch over her and keep her from getting herself killed if she crossed your path and engaged you alone. I was sent to monitor the situation and assist the two of you in such an engagement should you require it. I was also sent to assist you with Kana-san's medical treatment."

"Kana's medical treatment? What do you mean?" Kushina asked, maternal fear beginning to rise.

Naruto help up a vial filled with some purple chemical, "Saru-chan, do you know what this is?"

Kushina looked at the bottle before frowning in confusion and shaking her head in the negative.

"This is Drive," Naruto answered, causing Kushina to gasp, "Apparently Minato-teme has been having Kana injected with the stuff for quite a while now. If she goes too long without an injection, she'll begin to suffer withdrawal, and she'll eventually turn into a vegetable…that's if the withdrawal doesn't kill her first."

Kushina frowned in thought, thinking back over what she had read about Drive and its effects, before she reached a conclusion, "Was Minato trying to force an activation of the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai's higher levels in her?"

"It's possible – it would stand to reason that while he may not know what those higher levels do, he'd know that they exist. It could also be that he was trying to make her more impressionable to his teachings and more compliant to his orders," Naruto added.

"I guess this would also explain the intense anger she showed tonight…and over the past few years, now that I think about it…" she trailed off as past episodes of seemingly unprovoked anger suddenly made sense.

Kushina pulled herself back to the present, "So…what now?"

Yuriko answered, "That depends on the two of you. My orders are to assist you should you choose to bring her with you, and to eliminate her should you choose to leave her to her own devices. I was ordered to accompany you to your destination from here, so I will not be returning to Konoha. She cannot be allowed to return to Konoha knowing of my presence here, or of Danzo-sama's involvement with you. Aside from that, it's about time for her next Drive injection, so even if she was left here alive, she wouldn't make it back to Konoha on her own…and I'm not taking her, as that directly violates the parameters of my mission."

"Then we take her with us!" Kushina announced with conviction. Naruto looked as though he was about to object, but Kushina cut him off before he could.

"Kame-kun, I know that you're allowing me to live in your home, and I've said that I will follow your rules…but it's inhumane to leave her out here to suffer and die in agony because of things her father did to her. I'm asking…please, let her come with us?"

Naruto looked at her, almost as if he was about to respond, but he seemed to be quelling his own objections as quickly as they came.

Kushina continued, "Listen, how about this? While we're traveling, other than what Yuriko needs to do for her medically, I'll take full responsibility for her, including keeping her from becoming a problem for you. Once we're in your home, I have no objections to her being regarded as a prisoner and locked away. I won't interfere with anything you do regarding her once we're there, but please…if this Drive stuff is the main reason she's been acting the way she has, then there may be a chance that getting her off of the stuff could help her to see reason and become a more normal girl, at least with how she sees you. What do you say?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment before reluctantly acquiescing to her request, "Okay…I'll let you bring her…" Kushina sighed in grateful relief before tensing up at Naruto's addition, "…but…you need to rein her in and keep her on a tight, tight leash, because I will deal with her myself if I must, and I will not be held responsible for any injuries that might result."

Kushina nodded in acceptance of his terms and gave him a small smile, "Thank you, Kame-kun."

Naruto nodded with a small smile of his own before Yuriko spoke up once again, "Now that that's settled, I inject her with **very controlled doses** of Drive at proper intervals to wean her off of it. She will probably experience severe discomfort, and she might even become very ill, but she'll live; she won't have the strength to become violent, but she should be able to at least walk with us if we keep our pace at a normal civilian speed. And once we can get her into better accommodations, supervising her recovery will be much easier."

"YOU!" a shrill girlish yell broke through the calm of the atmosphere that was just established. The three of them turned to see that Kana had once again regained consciousness, and all of her anger and hatred was currently aimed at Naruto.

"DEMON! MONSTER!" she yelled, though her yells seemed to become weaker. Her angry grimace seemed to morph into a painful one, her eyes blinking rapidly in her efforts to keep herself in the present moment.

"It's already started," Yuriko explained, "She needs an injection right now."

Yuriko reached into her own medkit and pulled out a small syringe. Opening one of the vials of Drive in her kit, she filled the syringe with half of the vial's contents before screwing the top back on and putting the half-empty vial away. As she approached Kana, Yuriko adopted her "doctor" persona as she addressed the girl.

"Kana-san, what you're experiencing right now is withdrawal from a very potent drug. I'm going to give you a reduced dosage to alleviate your discomfort so that we can dry you out, okay? Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

Kana's eyes seemed to have trouble focusing as she responded, "What do you mean, 'a drug'? That stuff is what gives me my power!"

"Yes, Drive was designed to bring out a person's potential and enhance it, but it also has some very nasty side-effects, including making a lot of normally-reasonable people very violent. Your tou-sama fostered in you a hatred of your aniki…"

"Don't call him my aniki! I have no nii-san; he's a DEMON!" Kana objected.

"Anyway…" Yuriko continued, "…your tou-sama fostered in you a hatred for **Naruto**, and he used this drug to make you more impressionable to what he was telling you."

"**LIAR!**" she roared in response, "He…he wouldn't…" her eyes seemed to gloss over, as though she couldn't concentrate enough to finish what she was trying to say. Her breathing also became heavier, and she began to sweat. Yuriko took advantage of Kana's sudden inebriation, tying a tourniquet around her upper arm and injecting the Drive into her arm vein. Once she was done, she removed the tourniquet and replaced the empty syringe into her medkit.

"M-more…" Kana ordered/pleaded.

"No," Yuriko answered.

"I n-need…more," Kana tried to argue.

"Kana-san, it's the drug that's actually making you feel this way. If I give you more, you'll never be free of it, and we have no way of knowing what the long-term side-effects from prolonged use would be…" Kana looked about ready to object, but Yuriko raised her voice, "…because none of its previous subjects ever lived long enough for us to observe!"

Kana gasped in response to this.

'_Well, at least she's a little more coherent, now,'_ Kushina thought as she observed that Kana seemed to be listening rather than just running off at the mouth.

Kana, on the other hand, couldn't believe what she'd just been told! This stuff that they'd been pumping her full of…could kill her? There's no way – it wouldn't! It couldn't! There's no way her tou-sama would do that to her! She was about to once more accuse the woman treating her of lying until Kushina spoke up.

"Kana-chan, she's telling you the truth. I didn't even know what this Drive stuff was until a couple of weeks ago when we found it in Orochimaru's office. I've read the medical documentation on the stuff; it's very, very bad for you."

"But it's made me stronger and faster, and I'm able to go longer and fight better and…"

"Kana-chan, I know all of that; it's one of the things the drug was designed to do," Kushina gently interrupted her. Kana listened as Kushina interrupted her, "Honey, do you remember those episodes that Naruto had when he was younger…when the Kyuubi's youki would just erupt from him, and we were told that Kyuubi was taking him over?"

Kana grew angry at this and snapped, "What of it?"

"It was this same stuff that's been pumped into you that caused that!" Kushina declared.

"What?" Kana asked, stunned.

"That's right! Minato was directly responsible for those episodes, Kana-chan! Naruto was never a demon or a monster, and Minato lied to all of us!"

Kana grew angry once more. She began to shake and struggle, trying once more to break free, "It isn't true! It can't be true! Tou-sama loves me! He wouldn't do that to me!"

Kana continued shouting out her denials while trying to break free.

Kushina attempted to bring Kana to her senses once more, "Kana-chan, you must calm down!"

"**NO! LET! ME! GO!"** she shouted, enraged once more.

Kushina sighed in frustration before coming up and chopping her on the neck once more, again knocking her unconscious.

"Well, I hope that's the last time I have to do that; knocking her unconscious that many times can't exactly be good for her…" Kushina turned to Naruto, "…I'll be back; I feel pretty nasty, and I'd like to clean up."

Naruto nodded, allowing her to do as she intended. Yuriko decided to join Kushina and bathe in the nearby stream as well, after explaining that she had been moving pretty steadily since she left Konoha, herself. As she had needed to remain hidden, she couldn't bathe because it would make too much noise, and she had to use Genjutsu to mask her scent.

Naruto got to work on setting camp back up. They still hadn't had dinner, and he knew that all of them had to be hungry; he certainly was. Shortly after he'd gotten the fire going, he decided to go hunting for some wild game. It only took him a few minutes to catch a few good-sized rabbits. He made his way back to camp and began to skin and gut them, then put them on spits to roast the meat. By the time he had them roasting over the fire, Kushina and Yuriko had made their way back to camp, both of them looking much cleaner than before.

"So, then…_what_ exactly are we going to do with the problem child?" he asked Kushina as she and Yuriko walked back in to camp and sat around the fire with him.

"Spank her, first and foremost," answered Kushina without hesitating, "She's long deserved it. After that…I really don't know. We'll have to see what happens after she's off the Drive. Kana won't listen to reason or anything at all right now unless it's from Minato; after she's off the Drive and able to think for herself, I can only hope that she does take the time to think. If it comes down to it, I might have to disown her."

"So I'm stuck with the decision," muttered Naruto, half-annoyed, half-surprised.

"What do you mean?" questioned Kushina, confused, as she'd just told him she'd handle the matter.

Naruto smiled a bit and said, "You can disown her; problem is - once you do, she becomes _my_ problem as I'm the one with fully unlocked Kekkai Genkai, the only living true member of the Clan, making me the Head of the Uzumaki Clan. Should you disown her, she'll become a ward of the Clan and thus, my responsibility."

"Okay, then…so what's your idea?" asked Kushina in response to his objection.

"Once she's been completely weaned off Drive, we let the Kekkei Genkai decide," stated Naruto, firmly, "Our clan was not one where _**they**_ decided if a member should be disowned or banished from its ranks. That judgment alone is reserved for our bloodline."

"And if she fails?" questioned Kushina, knowing that Kana would most likely fail if her own experience was anything to go by.

"Well, the first trial for someone who does not display Uzumaki traits or values is the right to _keep_ their Kekkei Genkai, so…" Naruto trailed off as he thought about it, "…for her, especially under the influence of a drug like Drive, she'd lose it without fail…and I imagine it'll be painful, since unlike most Kekkai Genkai, it affects every cell in our bodies."

He smiled in what seemed to be amusement as he added, "After that, she's like anyone else, I guess. But until you disown her, she's still a part of the clan. If you disown her and she fails her trial to keep her bloodline, I'll be forced to mark her with a traitor's seal. The seal will notify any and all living Uzumaki that she is a traitor to the Clan and she is to be killed without hesitation. Most Uzumaki would react according to the feeling they get when they see her, like an unknown force screaming for them to kill her and if you were to see her again, you'd feel the same overwhelming compulsion."

"What about you?" asked Kushina, thinking he'd forgotten about himself.

Naruto chuckled and answered, "I can squash that compulsion in an instant. I'm not going to follow an order or compulsion just because it's there. I'll dictate what I do, not anything or anyone else."

He looked over at Kana and fixed her with a steely glare as he asked, "Are we finished eavesdropping, gaki?"

Kushina turned and looked at Kana, who was now glaring at the party of three around the fire. She couldn't speak, as Naruto had gone ahead and gagged her with a sock while Kushina and Yuriko were bathing. Naruto, with a sigh, walked over and pulled out the sock, despite the fact that he knew she'd be shouting nonsense for a while yet again.

'_Maybe I should just let her shout herself hoarse,'_ he mused to himself as she began to yell and scream the moment the gag was removed from her mouth.

"Kaa-chan! Kill him!" shouted Kana, looking at Kushina while struggling to get free.

"Kana," stated Kushina sternly, "Knock it off."

"Urusai! (Shut up!)" shouted Kana angrily, "Kill him! If he won't obey Tou-san, he has to die…"

Kushina interrupted Kana with a bell-ringing slap across her face. As Kana turned back to her mother in shock with tears beginning to well into her eyes, Kushina said in a firm, loud, disciplinary tone, "Kana Uzumaki Namikaze, I have had enough of your attitude tonight! I am your **mother,** you _**will**_ speak to me with the proper respect, and you _**will**_ listen to me, do you understand?"

Naruto sighed, "Or I can just put my sock back in your mouth," he said coldly, holding the offending object in his hand threateningly, causing her to pale and pucker her face as she looked at it.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want it in mine, either," he added amused at her reaction.

He turned back to Kushina and told her in a lighter tone, "Well, you seem to have things well in hand, here, so I'm going to wash off, now," before heading towards the stream, deciding that he'd rather not be around during their talk.

"OK, my Kame-kun…" Kushina responded teasingly, "…you go clean and polish your shell."

"Of course! I want to be all buffed and shiny for my Saru-chan, after all. Though it might behoove you to clean your tail as well…after all, you're not a bare-bottomed baboon, you know."

Kushina just rolled her eyes at him and gave him a knowing smirk, "And just what would you know about how bare my bottom is? Have you been doing naughty things like peeking on me, hmm? Do you like my tail?" She turned around and walked with her back to him, overtly swaying her hips and butt between each paused word as she asked, "Do you want…this…piece…of…tail…hmmm?"

Seeing that he had walked right into that, and thankful that his little sister seemed to be a complete idiot when it came to sexual interplay, he sighed and finished, "I'm going, now. I'll also bring back some dinner."

Kushina continued smirking at his back as he walked away to clean himself up. Once he was out of sight, Kushina's attention was drawn to Kana's voice.

"Okay, he's gone! Now let me go, quick!" Kana urged her mother, finding that her efforts to free herself were for naught.

Kushina turned back to her daughter with a glare before giving her another bell-ringing slap across the face, this one hard enough to make Kana spit blood and daze her. Kushina gave her a moment to refocus her eyes before speaking, "And **that** is for telling me to shut up! The next time you ever talk to me like that, I'll smack you so hard you'll spit teeth out, understand?"

"What the hell are you…" Kana began to yell angrily before being whacked across the fact by her mother once again, this time with a closed-fisted backhand.

"**UNDERSTAND?**" yelled Kushina, her glare turning into a teeth-gritting angry grimace, her hand poised to strike a fourth time.

Kana simply stared in disbelief, tears now flowing freely down her face before she hung her head, spit out two teeth, and said submissively, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good," said Kushina through gritted teeth, satisfied that Kana got the message before continuing, "And no, I won't release you. But if you promise to behave yourself, I'll allow Yuriko-san to treat your broken teeth. But be warned – if you _**misbehave**_, I'll just knock them right back out…and I'll let you live with the toothache for a few days before I let Yuriko treat you again. Do you understand me?"

Kana looked on in fear before hanging her head in resignation, nodding while shedding silent tears, hurt and angry that she wasn't getting her way. Kushina, seeing this, nodded in satisfaction and thought to herself_, 'Well, it's high time someone finally told her "no", anyway. This is good for her.'_

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Well, you certainly look better, my Kame-kun," said Kushina, smiling with a semi-leer while blushing upon seeing Naruto returning from his bath on nothing but his pants and sandals, his hair still wet.

Naruto smiled and responded, "And, as promised…" he held up several good-sized rabbits and fish, "…dinner!"

Kushina put on a girly smile and clapped her hands together in mock-delight while jumping up and down, "Yay! That's my wonderful hunting Kame-kun!"

Kushina kept her smile on when Naruto flashed her a grin while his teeth sparkled, though she did give a nervous sweat drop when that happened, _'Okay, so caterpillar-brows isn't the only one who can do that.'_

Naruto looked over at Kana, whose head was once again slumped over, "Still being problematic, huh?"

Kushina nodded, "Yeah, but this time Yuriko put her to sleep using a genjutsu – probably a little better for her."

"I agree…" Naruto responded, "…and this way, she can remain under for as long as twenty-four hours, depending on the strength of the genjutsu."

Kushina turned to him with a curious expression, "How do you know that?"

"Well, despite the fact that I'm not a ninja, I did pick up on a few things, here and there," he turned to Yuriko, who was sitting by the now-roaring campfire, "Thanks for putting her under, by the way."

Yuriko simply nodded to him before turning her gaze back to the fire.

Kushina nodded as well before her expression turned somber as tears began to flow, "How in Kami's name did I get it all so wrong?"

Naruto frowned at her in confusion, wondering what she was talking about.

Kushina sighed and muttered, "First you, now Kana. Maybe I should crawl in a cave and live there for the rest of my life; I won't have to worry about ruining any more lives than I already have."

Naruto put his kills down by Yuriko, who started to skin and gut them while he walked over to Kushina and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Saru-hime…"

Kushina slowly brought her head back up to look at him, silent tears rolling down her face.

Naruto continued, "Blame for what happened to me doesn't lie with you; we've been over that. You're not as much to blame for Kana as you think you are, either. Did you even encourage her to hate me?"

"Well, no…"

"Did you ever even condone her hatred of me?"

"Not at all."

"Minato-teme is a manipulative snake, Saru-chan. And he's a master of manipulation. I'd go so far as to say that if I hadn't been a direct target of his sadism and his malicious impulses, I probably would have been roped in by him, too. Don't blame yourself for trusting a man who purposefully manipulated you into loving and trusting him. What happened to Kana is mostly his fault, and what happened to me was **all** his fault. Let's put blame where it properly rests, okay? Right now, you're taking responsibility for where you went wrong, and that's more than anyone else from that evil shithole has ever done."

Kushina simply nodded in agreement; the place was an evil shithole after all, and that had become more and more clear to her over the last several months.

She smiled in gratitude, "Thank you; I do blame myself too much, and it's honestly refreshing to have someone tell me what I frankly am to blame for and what I'm not."

Naruto nodded with a smirk, "Don't worry; I won't stop telling it to you like it is."

"Oooo…kayyyyy…" Kushina responded, "Not sure how to feel about that."

Naruto chuckled before turning his attention back to the sleeping form of Kana, who was still being held to the tree by Kushina's chakra chains that were being held in place by her shadow clone. He brought his hand up to his chin and regarded her thoughtfully.

Kushina asked, "So, how are we going to induce her first trial?"

"We can worry about that once she's no longer under Drive's influence," said Naruto, walking over to Kana, "Right now, even if we try to force it, her trial won't initiate as long as Drive is affecting her state of mind. Besides, before I even think about inducing her trial, I want to know what's inside Kana's mind underneath all of the Drive-induced feelings and thoughts."

"She hates you, remember?" said Kushina, as it was pretty evident what Kana's feelings and thoughts were to her.

Naruto nodded and replied, "True, she does…but how much of that is Drive-influenced, and how much isn't? As far as Drive is involved, she'll buy into whatever ridiculous ideas the person with the most influence over her feeds into her mind. Right now, I'd wager that if Minato-teme told Kana to slaughter you, and then the entire village of Konoha, she'd do it without hesitation…even if her normal thoughts are against the very idea. Drive is not only a means to strengthen a person, unlock potential, or as the files say, awaken a dormant Kekkai Genkai, it is also a means of stripping someone of their free will and controlling them. Given enough influence and the proper programming, Drive would _**make**_ that person want to kill their family, even though they truly don't want to deep down."

"So…what you're saying is that she may hate you, but maybe not enough to _**kill**_ you?" questioned Kushina slightly confused by his words.

"Yes. Hatred is really the only thing she's ever known with regards to me, but that doesn't mean that she ever wanted to kill me. After all, I disliked you at one time; I outright hated Kana as well, and I **still** hate Minato…but do you see me trying to kill any of you?" he asked curiously.

She shook her head in the negative.

Naruto responded, "Exactly. So the only immediate course of action available to us is to slowly take her off Drive, and keep her content or happy while she's still on it…or we sedate her if we can't do either of those. I can tell you from past experience that Drive's effects are lessened if you stop trying to pop blood vessels in anger and killing things. Making her angry…will make Drive increase those feelings tenfold. If I know where her thoughts and feelings are once Drive is out of the picture, I'll be able to determine when to induce her trial so she'll have the best possible chance of passing it."

Naruto turned back to the petite prepubescent blonde that was bound by her mother's chains, "Well, I guess we might as well wake her up. Yuriko's got dinner cooking, and I'm guessing the squirt's got to be hungry."

Kushina walked over to Kana and pushed some chakra into her forehead. She remained unresponsive. Naruto walked over to her and started poking her in the head a few times, ordering her nonchalantly, "Come on, wake up, already; dinner's almost done."

As he turned his head to Kushina, he felt a sharp pain on his finger,

"Ow!" he yelped as pulled his finger away, looking back at Kana to see that she was gritting her teeth at him, "You bit me," he added, holding his wounded finger away from the girl.

"You poked me!" snapped Kana, glaring at him, "Now untie me so I can kick your ass!" she added, though she had a slight blush on her face as she stared at his shirtless chest.

"Kana-chan!" Kushina began, once more taking a warning tone.

"Actually, Saru-chan…" Naruto interjected bemusingly, "…go ahead and let her go."

"Err…what?" Kushina asked in confusion.

"I think a little lesson in humility would be good for our little spoiled brat, here…wouldn't you agree?"

Kushina regarded him apprehensively, "You're not going to hurt her, are you?"

"That depends on her. I won't cause any permanent damage, but I think she should learn the difference between her level of ability and my own, so I'll be happy to show her."

Kushina looked unsure, but decided to trust his judgment, "Well, okay, if you say so."

Her clone dispelled, causing the chakra chains to fell off of Kana. Kana slumped to the ground, unprepared for gravity's sudden pull.

As she was on the ground and rubbing her arms and legs to get blood flowing through them again, Naruto spoke up with a stern, direct, no-nonsense tone of voice, "Okay, punk, you think you can kick my ass? This is your chance to try. So whenever you're ready, bring it," he finished, gesturing with his hand for her to come at him.

Kana gritted her teeth and growled out, "With pleasure!" before coming at him as fast as she could.

Naruto responded with a quick side snap to her chest, causing her to fly backwards and crumple to the ground in pain.

"Well, can't say as you've impressed me, yet. You wanted to kick my ass, didn't you? Don't tell me that's all you got?" Naruto taunted.

Kana got back up, growled again, and yelled as she charged, throwing flurries of punches and kicks at Naruto that he easily dodged and barely had to move away from before stopping her with a hard right hook to the face, grabbing her shirt before she flew away from the force of the blow. He quickly sent a knee to her stomach, causing her to gasp out in pain and spit up blood as the wind was knocked out of her.

Following this, he sent her sailing into the air with an uppercut before immediately appearing above the girl and grabbing the crown of her head, sending several hard jabs to her mouth and nose before throwing her to the ground like a ragdoll. Kana lay there on the ground, soundly defeated, unable to get up, the pain she was experiencing unlike any she'd experienced before.

Naruto landed on the ground and began to taunt her again, "Come on, oh, great and mighty Kana Uzumaki Namikaze! Put the evil demon in his place, why don't you? It's what you came here for, isn't it?"

"**SHUT UP!"** she screamed at him, completely losing her cool as she jumped to her feet and came back at him, only to be knocked down as his fist met her face.

For the next several minutes, she would get up and charge, only to be knocked down by a blow to the face by Naruto's fist. This repeated itself several times, Kana getting up to her feet more slowly each time. She was thrown into confusion when Naruto stopped taunting her and changed his approach when speaking.

"Kana, you can't win. Stop this idiocy and give it up," he said firmly, but the pleas could be heard in his tone.

"Shut up, monster!" she gritted out coldly, "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity, it's just plain sense. If you keep charging me, you're just going to suffer further injury. It's over; stand down."

Seeing that she couldn't stand anymore, he calmly started making his way over to her.

"Le-leave me…alone…" she whimpered, now terrified of the attacker that she'd had such confidence in being able to defeat earlier, "st-stay a-away."

Naruto ignored her, continuing to make his way to her. When he reached her, he crouched down and looked her dead in the eye. Her eyes were filled with terror.

Naruto spoke in a low tone, "I could take your father down without breaking a sweat. What made you think that you'll ever have what it takes to stand toe-to-toe with me? I could kill you so easily, and now that I've thoroughly trounced you, I think you know that. But…I'm not going to."

Kana's fear became laced with confusion. Naruto answered her unasked question, "I told Kushina that I would allow you to come with us, and that I would treat you for Drive withdrawal. I always keep my word, but it still depends on you what happens from here."

Seeing that she was still looking at him in sheer terror, Naruto sighed as he continued, "You have a choice, Kana. You can live, or you can die," he said, simply causing Kana to look at him in shock, "If you attempt to go back to Konoha to our…father," he spat the word out as though it were a curse, "…he'll keep injecting you with drive until you turn into a deranged beast, at which point he'll probably put you into a medical coma and use you as nothing more than a breeding machine by subjecting you to constant rape…then your children will suffer the same fate as you. That's in the slim chance you actually make it back before Drive withdrawal kills you first."

"And if I go with you, you'll just rape me and then kill me after you're done," stated Kana as strongly as she could through her bloody nose and swollen mouth, somehow finding the bravado to glare at him, "You're a demon; all you do is kill! What you did to those ANBU is proof enough!"

"Kana, when have you ever seen me attack someone when I wasn't first provoked, hmm?" Naruto asked her plainly, causing her to stare at him in confusion, wanting to give a retort but finding that she honestly couldn't think of a time where he had.

"Also, if I was going to kill you, I could have done it simply by speaking…and saved myself the headache that your annoying screech is giving me. Why haven't I?"

"Because you want to rape me first!"

"Why would I want to do that? First of all, whatever gave you the idea that I might be interested in you that way? Would it be your winning personality? Would it be your 'sultry womanly curves'? I have my choices of full-grown women that I can have sex with should I wish – apart from the fact that you're my sister – why would I be interested in sex, or rape, with a prepubescent girl that hasn't even started growing tits yet? Even if I wanted to rape you…why haven't I yet? Nobody here could stop me."

"Kaa-chan could stop you!"

"Oh no, I couldn't," Kushina interjected, "If he wanted to rape and kill you right here and now in front of me, there wouldn't be a single damn thing that Yuriko-san here or I could do to stop him. So I suggest you answer his question…gaki."

Kana appeared shocked that her mother had essentially called her a spoiled rotten brat. She'd never called her anything like that before! She'd never had anything bad to say to her before now! What was her kaa-chan talking about, calling her a spoiled child?

Naruto rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Normally, he enjoyed arguing with someone who was determined. Kana, however, was simply bullheaded and stubborn, with a one-track mind that would evidently take more than a single night to derail.To make matters worse, he was _not_exactly the epitome of internal calm at that moment, especially after what he'd been forced to do earlier.

"Kana, I'm going to leave here in a minute before I do something that you'll regret…" she was about to retort back, but he shouted to her…at a volume that no human voice had any business being able to reach, causing Kushina and Yuriko both to cover their ears, **"…SHUT UP IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU RIGHT NOW!"**

Kana's put her hands up to her ears in pain a bit too late. Naruto noticed that they had begun to bleed slightly. This seemed to shut Kana up, so Naruto took this moment to continue at a noticeably lower volume, "You _**don't**_ know me. Minato does _**not**_ know me. Kushina _**barely**_ knows me. So I'll help you by explaining a few things."

Naruto stood tall, giving off an air of importance and command, "I am a Master Samurai, one of the few of Tetsu no Kuni's _**honored**_ samurai who act as special forces and advisors to General Mifune, the Daimyo of Tetsu no Kuni. I'm the most sought-after contractor in the elemental nations. I have open invitations to _**every**_ country and hidden village that wants my inventions and research…save Konoha."

He paused, seeing that she was still listening, and added seriously, "I don't _**rape**_ women. I refrain from _**killing**_ people most of the time. The only time I do kill people is when I draw my sword or somebody threatens those who are precious to me. Even then, I'll show mercy if I deem it the better option. I didn't kill you in Nami when you attacked my companion, did I?"

Kana thought back and then shook her head reluctantly, though her glare had not softened any. Naruto continued, "So…_**gaki**__…_until you do know me, or until you have _**seen**_ me do anything that you seem convinced I do on a regular basis. Shut. Up."

He stood up, grabbed his clothes and stormed back off toward the stream to calm down, but not before adding, "Yuriko-san, could you patch her up, please?" as he walked off.

"The lesson you should learn from this, Kana-chan: angry turtles are snapping turtles," Kushina said to Kana with disappointment, sadly watching Naruto walk off, _'I don't think I've ever seen him so pissed, but I suppose someone can only take so much and I'll admit Kana's allegations were…infuriating,'_ she added mentally before looking at Kana, who looked shocked and surprised.

"Kana," she said calmly, attracting her daughter's attention, "Naruto-kun is trying_**very hard **_to show some measure of kindness to you, something that I have found is very hard to get from him if you don't deserve it. He is probably only doing it because of the fact that you're on Drive and not truly in control of your thoughts and feelings. Instead of stating he's going to go on a killing spree or that he's a demon and attacking him…why don't you _**watch**_ him, _**see how he acts**_ and _**give him a chance**_ like he's attempting to give you?" she added kindly, she wanted her daughter to at least _try_ to think differently than she's been told.

"Why should I listen to you?" questioned Kana looking at her, "You're under a genjutsu or something. Hawk-san said you were tricked by Naruto to rescue him."

Kushina looked at her daughter like she was stupid, "Kana, does it _**look**_ like I'm being tricked or that I am under a genjutsu?"

"No…" muttered Kana quietly as she looked at her mother.

"Naruto-kun is giving me a chance because I want to try and get to know him; I mean truly know him. I was the worst mother I could ever be, and I can't make that right but he doesn't need a mother anymore. He outgrew the need for that years ago because we, his family, were so despicably evil and rotten to him!Instead I'm trying to be his friend, and I can honestly say that he is a hundred times the man that Minato-teme will ever be!"

"What do you mean? Otou-sama's great…"

"Oh yes, he's so great that he pumped you full of a drug that he knew full well would eventually destroy your mind and kill you! He's so great that he thought of ME as a monster when the Kyuubi was sealed inside me before it was sealed inside Naruto, and he only married me because of a mission to produce heirs with strong bloodlines because one of the parents was a jinchuriki! So tell me, Kana: was I a monster? Was that bastard right?"

"It can't be true…"

"We actually have copies of the Hokage's personal journals and the mission transcript, signed and written in Minato's hand…" kushina interrupted, causing Kana to gasp, "…you don't have to take my word for it – you can take the word the 'wonderful father' you love so very much," Kushina finished with conviction, satisfied with herself as she began to see Kana's resolve begin to crumble.

Kana gritted her teeth in anger as she retorted, "Even if what you say is true…what's so great about…_that thing__?_"

Kushina decided to forego slapping, and slugged Kana quite hard, causing her to spit up blood and her eyes to widen in surprise once more. Seeing the fury in her mother's grimace, her surprise gave way to fear.

Kushina growled out, "I don't expect you to change overnight. But you _**will**_ show him some respect. He could have killed you for attacking him. He could still choose toleave you here to die from your withdrawal from Drive. To answer your question, Naruto is a very kind man. By all rights, if it was anyone else, they would have killed you and me in Nami no Kuni. He is _**helping**_ you when others would kill you or leave you to die. He's giving me a chance to forge whatever relationship I can with him. I can also see that he's trying to offer you the same chance."

"But he's a monst-" Kana's words died in her mouth as Kushina slugged her again, this time causing her to cry out as her cheek tingled in excruciating pain before going numb. Kana could also feel it beginning to swell.

"Shut up!" growled Kushina as her anger was starting to get the best of her, "You don't know anything!You have never talked to him or spent _**any**_ time with him. If anyone has been the monster in this whole ordeal, it's Minato-teme!" Kana's jaw gaped at this, "Naruto-kun has _**never**_ lied to me; not once! Minato-teme has lied to me _**ALL **__**THE TIME I'VE KNOWN HIM**_! Naruto has been very truthful, even when I haven't wanted him to be. All I am asking of you, Kana-chan, is to give him an honest chance."

"And if I don't?" asked Kana unhappily.

"It's about two weeks back to Konoha at a Jounin's pace, and you won't have Drive to save you from withdrawals, nor will you be able to sustain that kind of pace without it. You'll die out here, Kana," answered Kushina seriously, "And I will ask Naruto to seal off your Kekkei Genkai."

"So do what you say or die, huh?" questioned Kana, staring at her mother frowning, "Some choices you've given me…"

"After the things you've said and done to him, the choice is more than you deserve, Kana-chan. Be grateful for it," Kushina warned, clearly no longer in the mood to tolerate her daughter's belligerent arrogance.

"Fine. I'll _give_ him a chance, but if he does _anything_ he shouldn't…"

Kushina slugged Kana hard across the same cheek she'd broken with her previous punch, causing Kana to cry out in pain once more, "AUGH! STOP HITTING ME! PLEASE…stop hitting me…" her angry yells turned into helpless whimpers and cries as she began to realize that she wasn't getting her way. The realization had finally hit her: she was screwed, and for the first time ever in her life, she was at someone else's mercy.

Kushina grabbed Kana's face roughly once again, causing Kana to wince in pain, "Kana, I'm going to explain the situation you're currently in, in as plain and direct a way as I possibly can. We are en route to Naru-kun's home. Yuriko-san and I are his guests. You are his _**prisoner**_! As such, your life is completely in his hands, and it will only continue by his good graces! You have no rights, anymore, except those he chooses to give you. You certainly aren't in a position to make any demands or conditions. He can do whatever the hell he wants to you, and there's nothing you can do about it! If he wants you to starve, you starve! If he wants you to die of thirst, you die of thirst! If he wants to pound his pecker into every hole in your body, you'd better prepare to be stretched!"

Kushina took a moment to breathe before she continued, "Get this through your head: your life is not your own, anymore; it's his, now. But while we are traveling to his home, he has agreed to allow Yuriko-san and me to take responsibility for you – something you really should thank him for. So while we're traveling, if you can't say anything nice to him or about him, you'll keep your damn mouth shut…or I'll do as promised and knock your teeth out again, and I won't let Yuriko-san, there, treat your injuries. If that doesn't curb your tongue or rein your behavior in, I'll go from breaking your cheeks to cracking your ribs. Your choices: treat Naruto with respect while we're traveling, or I'll beat the ever-loving shit out of you…and then you'll treat Naruto with respect – but you will respect him one way or another. Is there any part of this you don't understand?"

Kana's whimpers and cries turned into anguished sobs as the situation she landed herself in made itself known to her. Willingly treat the person she hated more than any other with respect, or be forced to.

She spoke up in a defeated broken voice, "I understand…"

"Good," Kushina responded, letting go of her face, "When Naruto comes back, you will bow before him on your hands and knees and apologize to him."

Kana gaped at her mother in shock, both hurt and anguished that her mother was willing to humiliate her in such a way. Seeing that her mother meant business, and already having had a taste of her wrath, she could do nothing but nod in acknowledgment of her mother's instructions.

"Yuriko-san," Kushina called the medic over, "Please heal her injuries, now. I'm going to get Naruto so that we can all eat dinner."

Yuriko stood up, walked over to Kana, and began to treat her injuries with a green-glowing hand. Kushina left camp to find Naruto, hoping for the best with the new addition of Kana and Yuriko to their duo-now-turned-entourage.

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A/N: Fun right?


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Here's the... next chapter. This chapter was done by ncpfan, so all the credit goes to him...

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Kushina found Naruto sitting on a rock just off the bank of the stream, just watching the water flow by. She approached him slowly, not wanting to chance setting him off after how much Kana had upset him.

"Kame-kun…are you okay, now?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered somewhat tiredly.

Kushina walked over to him and placed one arm around his shoulders while placing her free hand on the shoulder closest to her. This caused him to turn his gaze her way. She smiled warmly at him for a few moments before leaning in and giving him a lingering kiss on his cheek, bringing her closer hand up to the other side of his face. She pulled away to see Naruto frowning in what seemed to be a mixture of wonder and confusion as she continued to smile at him lovingly, caressing her fingers across his face as she pulled them away.

"What was that for?" he asked in quiet surprise.

"Just for being you…magnificent, amazing, wonderful you," Kushina answered warmly in a faraway tone before continuing, "I know that I asked a lot of you when I requested bringing Kana-chan with us, but even though you knew it would likely be a headache for you, you did it anyway. Thank you."

Naruto gave her a soft smile before nodding.

"Anyway," Kushina continued, "The reason I came to find you is because dinner's about ready."

"Ahh, music to my ears," Naruto responded somewhat jovially as he stood up and headed back to camp, Kushina immediately following suit.

"I also wanted to let you know that I've disciplined Kana sufficiently…for now. She's fully aware of the situation she's in, and of how she's to behave…particularly towards you."

"Ahh, that's good news. I guess we'll see if she takes it to heart."

"Actually, I think tonight's been a near-traumatizing wake-up call for her. She's never been beaten up like this, and until now, she's never known what it feels like to be helpless and completely at someone else's mercy."

"Well, I guess we'll see just how far it goes, then, won't we?"

"I guess we will," Kushina responded, just as their campsite clearing became visible.

Kana, still being treated by Yuriko, glanced their way, locking eyes with Naruto. The hatred and malice in her eyes were greatly diluted, but it was still there, but the primary feelings Naruto saw in them were fear and pain. Naruto found himself confused at this.

Kushina spoke up, "Yuriko-san, can you stop what you're doing for a moment, please?"

Yuriko stopped healing Kana, prompting Kushina to speak up once more, her tone direct and to-the-point, indicating that she wouldn't tolerate any funny business, "Kana-chan, I believe you have something to say to Naru-kun, don't you?"

Kana glared weakly at her mother before making an effort to stand and walk in their direction. When she was a few short feet away from them, she made an effort to kneel back down, though the effort was clearly straining her muscles. When Naruto realized what she was doing, he moved to try to stop her, clearly seeing the strain it was putting on her body. Kana immediately flinched when she saw Naruto moving towards her. Kushina stopped him by raising her arm in front of him before turning her gaze back to Kana and nodding with a stern glare.

"Saru-chan…" he began warningly, "…stop this. I can see that it's straining her."

"Kame-kun, she needs this."

"Kushina…" she noted the use of her name without an honorific, his tone still bearing a warning edge to it, "…this isn't Konoha, and you know that I insist on treating prisoners with a certain degree of dignity."

Kana frowned in confusion at this. Was he objecting to her having to kneel down before him? Was he really willing to treat her better than a prisoner deserved to be treated. After all, prisoners deserved to be stripped of all rights and broken, right? That was how her father treated prisoners, after all.

"And you also gave me full responsibility for her, Naruto," Kushina replied, not backing down, her own tone just as forceful as his, "This is not me mistreating a prisoner; this is me disciplining my daughter. Whether she's your prisoner or not, I'm still her mother, and I'm still responsible for ensuring what's best for her. It may be painful, but the only thing that will get bruised as a result of what she's about to do is her ego…and that is something that needs deflating. I've already told you that I will take full responsibility for her, and I am also asking you now not to interfere as I discharge my responsibility for her. Is what I'm asking unfair?"

Naruto seemed to wrestle with that for a moment, before sighing defeatedly, "No, it's not…I don't like it, but I'll concede to you for now."

"Kame-kun," Kushina began in a softer tone, turning her gaze to Naruto, "Do you believe me to be a cruel person?"

Naruto frowned for a few moments before answering, "Well, no."

"Do you believe that I love my daughter?"

"Absolutely."

"Then please…trust in my love for her, now. I'm making her do this because I love her."

Naruto frowned once more, looking back and forth in confusion between Kana and Kushina. After a few seconds of this, he closed his eyes and nodded.

Kushina's gaze turned back to Kana, and she nodded at her once more, indicating that she was to follow the instructions that Kushina gave to her. Kana simply stared dumbly at Naruto, her own eyes going back and forth between him and her mother.

Her thoughts reflected the emotional whirlwind in her heart, _'What does this mean? Tou-sama said he's a demon and a monster, but…kaa-chan's being harder on me than he is r__ight now. I don't understand…'_

"Kana…" Kushina warned her, bringing her back to the present moment. Kana once again strained to kneel. After a few moments, she'd finally made it down to her knees, and she struggled further to put herself into a prostrate bowing position before Naruto, knelt on both her knees, her hands out wide and her forehead pressed to the ground.

The pain she was in evident in her voice, she began to grind out lowly and tiredly, "I…apologize for my words and actions tonight. Kaa-chan is helping me see the…error of my ways. I am your…prisoner, and I need to accept that. Please…accept my apology…and forgive me."

Naruto, to Kushina's surprise, knelt down before Kana until he was within arm's reach of her prostrate body. Naruto brought his hands to her shoulders and lifted her upper body from the ground as gently as he could, seeing the grimaces she was displaying at the pain she was feeling.

As he looked her dead in the eye, he responded, "I accept your apology, and I do forgive you. It takes great character to show such humility, especially when you don't want to. I'll tell you the same thing I told your mother: as long as we don't have any altercations or verbal exchanges like the one we had earlier, we won't have an issue."

Naruto then looked over to the fire before looking back down at Kana, whose expression was now one of honest surprise, as though she couldn't figure out what had just happened, "Kana, I can see that you're in pain, so I'm going to pick you up and carry you over to the fire so that you can stay warm, eat, and continue getting treated by Yuriko. Okay?"

She simply continued staring at him, dumbfounded at the "niceness" he was showing her. After a few seconds, mouth agape, she just nodded dumbly.

Giving her a soft smile, he said to her, "Put your arm around my shoulders behind my neck."

She did so, and Naruto maneuvered the two of them so that he could lift her into a bridal carry. Once she was securely in Naruto's arms, she unconsciously wrapped her other arm around his neck as well. A flush began to cross her face as she simply continued gaping at the man carrying her, her older brother. The feel of the lean, strong muscles that were holding her up caused her blush to deepen even further, and she didn't even notice that her breathing had started to grow heavier with the quickening of her pulse. Naruto found himself slightly confused when he noticed a certain honey-like scent emanating from the girl in his arms – he wasn't emitting pheromones, so was this just Kana's natural reaction to him?

Kushina smiled at the sight of what appeared to be the beginning of Naruto and Kana's new relationship – one that was not clouded over by lies, hatred and darkness. She accompanied the pair of them to the fire and sat on one of the logs that they had set up as seating. Naruto gently set Kana down on a log into as comfortable a position as he could manage to get her in. Once he had situated her, he tried to pull away, only to feel the slight pull of Kana not having let go of his neck yet. He looked at her and saw that she was still gaping at him in…dumbfounded wonderment? There was no other label he could give her expression.

"Kana…chan?" Naruto asked.

"Huh?" Kana asked dumbly, almost as if in a trance.

"You can let go now."

"Hmm? What?" Kana asked as she blinked, bringing herself back to the present. Realizing she still had her arms around Naruto's neck, she let out a startled, "oh…" before quickly letting go and pulling her arms to her sides. Her blush intensified, this time with embarrassment, as she turned her gaze down and away, wanting to shrink into herself.

Naruto just raised an eyebrow before getting back onto his feet, while Yuriko took his place and resumed treating her injuries. A few minutes later, the pain was gone, though Kana still found that she felt quite tired. While Yuriko had done this, Naruto had begun pulling the makeshift spits of meat and fish out of the fire and started passing them around to everyone. Once they all got their food, they began to dig in hungrily.

Kana Uzumaki-Namikaze was numb - that was the only word that seemed to fit. She had become so used to being driven by hatred, anger and aggression that she found right now, she didn't know what to do with herself. The anger was gone, as was the aggression. Her hatred was now in question, as she just didn't know why she hated **him** anymore.

'_Him…_' she mused to herself as her melancholy drove her to reflect, _'…I don't think I've ever used his name before. Na__…ru…to. Even just thinking his name feels so…strange and unfamiliar. How would actually saying it feel? And why's he being so nice to me after beating me up the way he did?'_

She looked his way as she ate, mulling over what her now unemotionally-charged senses were telling her. A flush of pink crossed her cheeks again as she took his appearance in – she found him to be extraordinarily handsome. Even their father's natural good looks seemed to fall short of Naruto's own. Seeing his smile, she had to admit to herself that it would make her weak in the knees to see it directed at her. He was currently talking with their mother…

'_I don't know what to make of this,'_ Kana thought to herself as she watched and listened to her mother and her brother talk, joke and laugh with each other like the best of friends, _'I've always believed him to be a monster that needs to be controlled and kept on a tight leash. That's what Tou-sama's always told me; he's been raising me to be the one to hold that leash. But Kaa-c__han seems to trust him without hesitating, and she seems happier for it. I don't think I've ever seen her so happy.'_

Kana continued to watch, just trying to drink in details and learn what she could of her current companions and the situation she'd landed herself in. She noticed her mother smiling in a way that she'd never seen her smile before. When she thought about the smiles her mother gave her before all of this, they always seemed to be…forced? But now, her smile and laugh were rather carefree. Her smile was genuine, and her laugh was warm…the expression on her face was quite becoming, in Kana's opinion. She'd never noticed just how beautiful her mother was before now; her father never brought out anything like this in her. Was this Naruto's doing? Was it Naruto who made his mother so happy?

'_Could it really be that he's not an evil demon…person…guy…or whatever? Just watching him, he seems to enjoy talking to Kaa-chan; she certainly enjoys talking to him…'_

Kana would even go so far as to call the scene playing out before her…romantic. Kana had always enjoyed the tales of the princess who was swept away by her knight in shining armor to live happily ever after in some wondrous far-off place. She would always envision herself as the princess, staring dreamily into the eyes of her prince…much the same way that her mother was staring at Naruto right then.

'_Wait a minute…'_ Kana began to ask herself as she started putting the pieces together, _'…is Kaa-chan…in love with him? Why? He's her son; she'__s not supposed to look at him like that…but even beyond that, what about him would make her forget Tou-sama and look at him that way?'_

She continued to listen, catching the pet names they had for each other, _'And what with all this "Kame-kun" and "Saru-cha__n" stuff? Why do they call each other a turtle and a monkey? And why do they seem to enjoy it? Why does he use her name and not "Kaa-san" or something when he talks to her?'_

Kana continued to watch and listen, hoping that her observations would clear up her frustrating confusion. The two of them seemed to be talking about nothing of any substance or meaning to her while having the time of their lives at it. Most of it seemed to be talk about gadgets and gizmos – stuff that was way over her head. Then, when that Yuriko woman joined in, she found herself feeling…a bit left out. She began paying more attention to the conversation, hoping a place for her to enter would present itself…

"So that's how these sealing scrolls of yours hold so much, huh?" Kushina asked curiously.

"Yeah…" Naruto admitted with no small amount of pride in his work, "…adding the extra few nodes within the framework in just such a way enables the seal to hold a whole lot more. I can actually hold entire structures and buildings in them if I'm thorough enough."

"Fascinating…" Kushina admitted, genuinely impressed, "…so that'll be really handy for the trek westward, then."

"Yeah, it will. The Wastes aren't a forgiving place to those who don't respect it. Whole armies of shinobi and samurai alike have gone in and never come out, because they didn't respect the land and play by its rules. But…I know the Wastes like the back of my hand – we'll be fine, and I think you might even enjoy the trek."

"Really?" Kushina and Yuriko asked, both curious of the idea as it was "common knowledge" to them that the Wastes were nothing but a desolate, defiled land.

"Oh, yes," he responded knowingly, "While there isn't a lot of plant life to be found out there, the Wastes have a beauty and a mystery all their own, especially at night."

"What's it like at night? This place we're going?" Kana interjected with a tone that, while reserved, belied her loneliness and desire to feel included.

Naruto turned to her and smiled at her, happy that she wanted to be a part of things in a civil manner. Kana's stomach became aflutter at his smile, her pulse quickened and her breathing started to get faster.

"Well," Naruto answered, "It's quiet…and when I say quiet, I mean you could hear a pin drop a hundred meters off. That's one of the things that give off the mysterious feeling I was talking about. But it's dry out there – rarely ever see a cloud in the sky, at least not within the eastern half. But when you look up into the night sky…" his face and voice adopted a faraway quality as he looked slightly upward, as though he was putting himself there, "…you see more stars than sky. The Milky Way is actually visible, and the stars themselves are all so many different rich colors that it looks like a kaleidoscope, and the full moon is always a rich golden color – it's like it's so close you can touch it. It really is amazing out there; it's one of my favorite places in the whole world…"

Kushina, Yuriko, and even Kana all sat there, enraptured in his telling of his perspective on the Western Wastes. Naruto almost made it sound like heaven on earth, at least at night.

"It sounds wonderful…" Kushina responded wistfully before remembering that he had only mentioned the night, "…but, what's it like during the day?"

Naruto's faraway smile turned into a serious frown as he looked at the three females, "The daytime out there is an entirely different story. The heat in the air seems to make everything a lot louder, and you don't know what to expect from day to day – one day it could be clear as a bell, but the next day you could encounter a ferocious sandstorm. You know the sandstorms you hear about in Kaze no Kuni?"

The three of them nodded in response, prompting Naruto to continue, "Those are basically the leftovers of the Wastes' sandstorms when they're dying out."

All of them raised their eyebrows in astonishment at this.

Naruto added, "Don't worry. I know how to properly traverse it, and trust me when I say that once we're through, you'll have no doubts as to how safe we are from any threat of invasion or attack. I'll explain more once we get to Furontia."

"Furontia?" Yuriko asked curiously.

"The last border town before the Wastes – it's about a week from here. We'll stop there to rest up for a couple of days and resupply…trust me, we'll need it."

The three others nodded, taking Naruto's word for it.

"Naru-to?" Kana asked, the way she said his name showing how uncomfortable she was with using it. She was still fearful of him, as she didn't know what he'd do or what to expect from him. Kushina frowned in sympathy at Kana, while Naruto simply raised a bemused eyebrow.

"Yes?" Naruto replied nonchalantly.

"What's out there…in the Western Wastes? Why are you taking us there?"

"My main stronghold is out there. It's about a month out from Furontia, but believe me when I say that you, especially, Kana-chan, will be glad when we arrive there. My medical bay is fully-equipped with everything we'll need to better supervise and monitor your withdrawal recovery. I imagine that Yuriko…" he turned his gaze in Yuriko's direction, "…would also enjoy that, as passionate as she's shown herself to be about medicine."

Yuriko gave him a ghost of a smile in acknowledgment of his assessment.

"What else is your stronghold equipped with, Kame-kun?" Kushina asked curiously.

"Well…" Naruto began, only to be interrupted.

"**Wait, Kame-kun! You should let it be a surprise! It's not like they'd believe you anyway without seeing it first!"** Kyuubi chirped in cheerfully.

"Wha? Who's that? Who's there?" Kana began, becoming afraid.

"**I'm the Kyuubi; you know, the demon you've mistaken your brother for your whole life, you spoiled, evil little brat!"** Kyuubi responded angrily, **"And while he may desire to treat you with civility, I feel no such compul****sion! So don't…"**

"Kitsu-chan, that's enough," Naruto interrupted. Kana's eyes went wide as she heard both Naruto's and Kyuubi's voices at the same time.

'_What does all of this mean? I heard both of them talking at the same time, so they have to be two s__eparate people…but he's trying to be nice to me, and Kyuubi sounded like a girl who really hates me! Has Tou-sama really been lying to me all my life? I don't want to believe it!'_ Kana began to think, panic rising as her charmed little world started crashing down around her even more.

"Kana-chan?" Naruto asked somewhat worriedly as the girl began to hyperventilate. She looked up at him, and then darted her eyes back and forth between him, her mother and Yuriko as panic continued to rise.

"Kana-chan?" Kushina asked, worriedly and fearfully.

"Kana-chan, are you okay?" Naruto asked at the same time as Kushina, the worry in his tone causing her to panic even more.

Yuriko sprung into action, placing Kana under a genjutsu to induce sleep. Kana quickly succumbed to slumber, while Yuriko then proceeded to perform a medical diagnosis jutsu. After she was done, she nodded in satisfaction to herself before addressing her other two companions.

"Her vitals are normal, now. She just had a panic attack, is all," Yuriko informed them.

"Kitsu-chan," Kushina began, "Errm…I know that you're not too fond of Naruto's former family, and I really don't blame you, but…Kana is only a product of her environment. Can you please be patient with her?"

"**Saru-chan, I have no patience**_**for**_** people like her. I don't feel the need to be kind or nice to her. I'll be happy to watch for now and see how she acts, and if she changes. But until then, if you don't want me talking to her that way, tell her not to talk to me at all unless I ask ****her something, and then you'd better warn her to watch her tone!"** Kyuubi retorted.

"We'll let her know, Kyu," Naruto replied, effectively ending the conversation between the two of them.

"Wait a minute. Naru-kun?" Kushina asked, frustrated that he was doing nothing to address Kyu's attitude.

"Kushi-chan, listen," Naruto explained, "Kyuubi is entitled to her feelings, just like you and I are. And frankly, she's right. She _isn't_ obliged to be friendly or civil with Kana, and after living with the knowledge that I was supposed to be her little pet once Minato-teme made her Hokage, I'd be surprised if she _was_ civil or friendly to her. In many ways, she's got more to prove to Kyu than she does to me."

Kushina's eyes widened as she gaped at him in stunned, dumbstruck silence. After a few moments, she recollected herself and responded coldly, "Very well. But just like you don't have to like how I choose to discipline Kana, I don't have to like how Kyu regards her as a hostile."

"Does Kyu have a reason not to?" Naruto asked pointedly.

"I already said I'd accept it for what it is, didn't I?" Kushina snapped.

"**Saru-chan, if…"** Kyu began, only to be interrupted.

"Don't…talk to me, Kyu," Kushina snapped again, "Just leave me alone," and with that, she stormed off.

"**What was that about?"** Kyu asked.

"Best to leave it be, Kyu. She'll come around when she's ready. I think she's just being a bit of a protective mother hen, right now, is all. Kana is still a kid, after all."

"**I wouldn't know what to do with that piece of information. I've never had kits of my own, and I was never a child…and frankly, you were never a child, in a sense, either."**

"I know," Naruto responded patiently, "And if it helps, I'll do what I can to make sure everyone's ruffled feathers are smoothed over. After all, we're all friends, right?"

He heard Kyu sigh, and could sense her nod inside her cage. Naruto gave her a mental smile, and could sense her own blush and returned smile in response.

'_**I love you, Kame-kun…and thank you,'**_ Kyu told him within his own mind.

'_I love you, too, Kitsu-chan,' _Naruto responded,_ 'and you're welcome. I'm always happy to do anything for you.'_

Naruto could once more feel her smile and blush as she cut the connection between the two so she could rest from taking Naruto's bloodlust and dispersing it herself. Naruto left her be, knowing that such a thing always took a lot out of her.

Naruto walked over to Kushina and spoke, "Kyu's gone to sleep for now. You okay, Saru-hime?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she responded resignedly, noting the affectionate way he was addressing her in order to help calm her down, "I just didn't like Kyu's hostility towards Kana, that's all. It's one thing to be like that with me, but Kana's a child who honestly doesn't know any better."

"You're right, but you have to understand that in a lot of ways, Kyu doesn't really know any better, either," Naruto explained, "She's never been a child, she's never had her own children, and…well, in a lot of ways, I've never really been a child either."

Kushina flinched at that, but Naruto started on her before she could start feeling guilty, "Now, enough of that. That wasn't a jab at you; I'm just trying to help you understand her point of view. Kyu doesn't really know the difference between talking to a child and talking to an adult because she's never dealt with children, so she's going to talk to Kana the same way she'll talk to anyone else she doesn't like. Be patient with her, okay?"

"Okay, I'll try," Kushina responded, still frustrated and resigned, but understanding Kyu's perspective somewhat better, "I'll apologize to her in the morning."

Naruto nodded and brought Kushina back to camp. Sleeping arrangements were made so that Yuriko and Kana would share one tent so that Yuriko could offer Kana some medical assistance if necessary, while Naruto and Kushina would share the other tent they had. Silence fell over the camp as they all got ready for bed and turned in for the night.

For the remainder of the week, travel had been as fast as possible given Kana's condition. The longer she went on reduced dosages of Drive, the worse her discomfort seemed to get. Naruto informed Yuriko that Kana's condition would likely get worse before it got better. This seemed to relieve both Kushina and Yuriko somewhat, though Kana was still pretty snippy about it all. Kyuubi was still quite intolerant of the girl, much to Kushina's chagrin, though Kushina could now understand her feelings and empathize to a degree.

It became apparent to Kushina that amongst other things, she would have to teach Kana some manners. She was used to getting whatever she demanded from anyone she made demands of back in Konoha, and as such, had no use for manners, there. Kushina took the time to instruct her in the fine art of respectfully asking for things she wanted, and expressing gratitude when those things she asked for were given to or done for her. It wasn't a lesson that she was taking to very well, but she was making progress. The fact that she had been taught humility by Naruto, Kushina, and her own current circumstances seemed to help as well.

Naruto still found her overall attitude towards him to be rather grating. He was grateful for the fact that she seemed to be catching herself a little more often than usual, and her hostility towards him now was more out of habit than anything else. He also understood that the Drive in her system, as well as the withdrawal from it, were certainly adding to the problem. He took the least frustrating way out and started avoiding her when she became hostile, and Kushina or Yuriko would keep the girl away from him whilst they traveled.

Naruto and Yuriko had also had a few discussions concerning her killing the ANBU who were still alive and unconscious. Yuriko offered no apologies for her actions, stating simply that her presence with him could not be documented by anyone loyal to the Hokage or her mission would fail and her master's agenda would be irreparably compromised. She simply told him that she couldn't take the risk that they would regain consciousness and possibly escape after having seen her. After going back and forth, Naruto realized that he wasn't going to change her mind on the issue – at least not while her loyalty lay primarily with Danzo, and decided not to waste his breath on the issue, but he warned her to run her decisions to kill by him first…or there would be problems.

Once they arrived at Furontia, the jaws of all the females in Naruto's company dropped. Kushina, Yuriko and Kana had never before seen such a spectacular place! Naruto had called Furontia a border town, not a technological wonder! They were expecting some rundown dive, not this magnificent city that appeared in front of them! The several-hundred-meter-high walls, which were much higher than the walls of Konoha, extended from one end of the canyon walls to the other, making it necessary to pass through this town before heading into the Wastes. The walls shimmered with metallic silvery brilliance as they reflected the light of the high-noon sun off of their surface. As they got closer, they saw that there were battlements and window niches within the walls, adding to their defensive capabilities.

As they closed upon the city, they could make out what looked like mechanical spiders roaming up and down the walls, and across the façade, delivering things to and fro and performing various tasks. Kushina immediately recognized them as the same spiders that Naruto kept within his home at Nami no Kuni before he destroyed it. The closer they got, even Yuriko, who had been trained well to keep her emotions under strict control, seemed unable to hide her own sense of awe…and trepidation…at approaching this vast hulking city.

"Kame-kun," Kushina began, "What is all this?"

"This, my dear Saru-hime, is Furontia!" Naruto responded, extending his hands in a grandiose manner as the moved towards what looked like the main gate to the city, "It is the single most advanced city in the world, and one of the great outposts of Tetsu no Kuni."

"But…I don't understand. How is it that a place such as this could have been kept secret from…well, anyone?" I've never heard of this place, before. Yuriko, have you?"

"No, Kushina-dono. I've never heard of it, and I'm honestly not even sure if Danzo-sama has."

"But why not? Why wouldn't anyone know about this place?" Kana asked, just as curious as the other two.

"Well, if you were a Kage, and you were vying for the position and reputation of the strongest military force in the Elemental Nations…would you want any of your people to know of such a place as this…especially if it wasn't under shinobi control?"

All of them blinked at that, trying to take in what Naruto had said.

Naruto continued, "The fact of the matter is that General Mifune leads the strongest military force on this continent, hands down. It's also only because of his strong policy of neutrality and non-involvement with the shinobi world that nobody truly knows just how strong Tetsu no Kuni really is."

"Just how strong is Tetsu no Kuni, Naruto-san?" Yuriko asked.

"Well, since you're here right now, I might as well tell you. General Mifune could conquer the entire continent if he felt so inclined, and there wouldn't be a single thing any hidden village could do to stop him…either militarily, or in one-on-one combat. In fact, I doubt that all of them working together could stand up to him."

"But what about the Kages? What about the other powerful ninja in the world, such as the Sannin?" Kushina ventured.

"General Mifune, thirty years ago, fought Hanzo of the Salamander in single combat. The story you've all heard is that Mifune was soundly defeated and sent running with his tail between his legs, right?"

They all nodded.

"That was a lie perpetuated by Hiruzen Sarutobi. What really happened was the two of them fought each other to a stalemate, and walked away with mutual respect for each other as neither could gain the upper hand. The lie was told to bolster the reputation of Sarutobi's students when they were named the Sannin by being allowed to walk away from Hanzo when they fought him together. If they had continued, Hanzo would have eventually killed them all. The 'Legendary Sannin'…" the mocking tone of Naruto's voice was not lost on them, "…wouldn't have the level of respect they have in the shinobi world if the truth of General Mifune and Hanzo's battle was widely-known, now would they?"

"But Tou-sama could beat this General Mifune…I mean, couldn't he?" Kana asked, still wanting to defend her father, even though she was starting to get a clearer picture of who he really was now that she thought back.

"Kana-chan, if Minato-teme and General Mifune ever faced each other in combat, the General would make strip steak of him. He fought Hanzo to a stalemate thirty years ago…and ever since then, he's only gotten stronger, better and faster. There's not a ninja living who could best him now."

"Whoa…he's that strong?"

"Yes, he is. And he's the man that I respect and admire more than any other in the world. He's my Liege Lord, and the only human being that I would willingly take orders from."

That surprised all three of them. Kana, because she'd never heard of General Mifune, Kushina and Yuriko because they had an idea of the disgust he held for the human race in general, and for Konoha in particular. Mifune had to be an exceptional man if Naruto would willingly submit to his authority, AND admit to respecting and admiring him.

As they walked through the gate, they were stopped…by an honor guard marching towards them in formation! Twenty men in two ranks of ten, all in samurai armor of gleaming silver over royal blue uniforms, stopped, turned to face each other in perfect sync, and extended their armaments upwards in salute, creating an arch with their weapons - the strangest weapons the three of them had ever seen. The katana blades and spearheads of the naginata seemed to be made of energy, yet also had a substance of their own. The only weapon that they had heard of that was even remotely like that was the Nidaime Hokage's Raijin no Ken, though that might actually be considered crude by comparison to what these men were sporting.

Another man wearing a uniform indicating him to be a man of rank, walked through the arch and approached the group. As he was wearing a silver samurai helm, it was impossible to tell what color his hair was. Once standing in front of then, he knelt to one knee and brought his fist to his chest in salute.

"Lord Commander Namikaze! Welcome back, sir!" he greeted Naruto in a formal military fashion.

'_Lord__Commander?'_ the girls thought as one. What other surprises did Naruto have in store for them?

"Thank you, Captain Ginjoufu, and it's Uzumaki now. I've decided to drop the Namikaze name. It's good to be back," Naruto responded.

"Everything is as you left it, sir, and your orders have been carried out. Larger orders of materiel are now being investigated with greater scrutiny, and any attempts at concealment of the purchaser's identity are now being responded to by complete cancellation of the orders."

"Very good, Captain. I've recovered the merchandise from Konoha that I'll be leaving here with you. Hopefully, with your efforts, this will never happen again."

Captain Kurokage smiled, "Of course, Nami…I mean, Uzumaki-dono. That'll take some getting used to, sir."

'_-Dono?'_ the girls all thought in unison once again.

"I imagine so, Captain. If you would, please make sure the word gets spread about my name. Carry on," Naruto responded with a smile.

"Sir!" Kurokage saluted once more before standing to one side of the Honor Guard.

Naruto turned to his companions, "Shall we?"

They followed Naruto through the arch that the Honor Guard had created for them. Once they were through and Kurokage dismissed his Honor Guard, Kana immediately spoke up somewhat heatedly, "Why did you drop tou-sama's name from yours?"

"Because I am the officially-recognized Head of the Uzumaki Clan, and I will therefore only use the Uzumaki name," Naruto responded evenly, before adding, "Besides, why should I keep the name of the man who orchestrated countless torture sessions during my childhood?"

Kana seemed to become somewhat subdued at this. She had read some of Minato's journals while on the trip, and she couldn't deny that they were written by her father – she knew his handwriting, after all. Apparently, Naruto and her mother had been telling them the truth, but still, she couldn't help but have feelings of love towards the man who had loved her, if only outwardly. She looked to her mother, who didn't seem affected by Naruto's declaration one way or the other. Kana then made a mental note to ask him what he meant about being the officially-recognized leader of her mother's clan.

As Kana retreated into her own thoughts, she paid cursory attention while Naruto began showing them around the city, which consisted of many different levels of streets, buildings and walkways connecting them all. They almost became dizzy at the dazzling city in which they now found themselves.

Naruto showed them many different sights, such as the industrial district, where various manufacturing facilities for the tech he produced that he was willing to share, the political district, the military district, and the commercial district - where he was sure that Kushina and Kana (if she felt up to it) would like to spend a little time while they were there. He'd even send Yuriko there with some money if she was into shopping at all.

Naruto had some personal quarters in the political district of the city that were adjacent to the commercial district. Those quarters were large enough to house twenty people, and he could always expand them if he felt the need to do so. This was where he was currently leading the girls.

"So…Naruto-san?" Kana began, not comfortable enough with him to use a more familiar honorific yet, "Are you the ruler of this city?"

"I am the Supreme Commander of this outpost, yes," Naruto replied, shocking Kushina and Yuriko as well, "But I'm not here often enough that I could call myself the city's ruler. In my absence, Captain Kurokage executes all the military duties and functions of the citadel, while the mayor, Rokugo Shutaru, handles the economic and political affairs of the city. They both work well together, and if they disagree on decisions, they defer to my judgment and follow my orders."

He turned off the main street and led them to what looked like some kind of lift. Entering something into a touchscreen device that the girls had never seen before, Naruto pressed a part of the screen that glowed red. The red hexagonal section turned green at Naruto's touch, and the lift suddenly started ascending upwards, protected from the outside by a transparent tube. The girls became more awestruck the higher they went as they took in more of the magnificent metal/stone city that was revealed before them in more of its grandeur.

"You think this is something?" Naruto quipped, "Wait until you see this place at night."

The lift eventually came to a stop at the top level. A glass doorway slid back and allowed the group to exit onto a large patio in front of what appeared to be a huge luxury apartment, with plexi-glass windows covering the entire front façade. Naruto walked up towards the façade, and one of the windows slid to the side, showing itself to be the front door.

"These are my personal quarters while in the city. Only I and those I permit have access to it. Come on in, make yourselves at home."

They all followed Naruto into his quarters. They all noticed that while the accommodations were quite luxurious, they felt more like a suite of offices than living quarters. There were several devices that none of the girls could even guess at, as they had never seen them before. Kushina was reminded of some fo the computers that Orochimaru had kept in his research facility, but what Naruto had here made even those look crude and bulky. Everything in these quarters was streamlined. When they went to look for Naruto, they had found him in an office, briskly yet calmly pushing more button-like images on several more of those glass-like devices.

Waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing, they just stood there and watched him work from the desk he was sitting on.

After he finished, he folded up the glass computer he was using and laid it down. Looking to the girls, he asked in confusion, "What is it?"

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone work that fast, Kame-kun," Kushina responded, which brought about two nods from the others, "What exactly did you do just now?"

"Well, let's see, I procured some supplies for our trip into the Wastes, I logged all of the tech that I confiscated from Konoha and gave orders for its pickup and reinventory, I gave orders concerning the political and economic agendas that had gone unattended in my absence of communication, I gave each of you an unlimited expense account to go shopping with while you're here…"

Naruto was interrupted by a girlish squeal from Kushina as she charged and glomped him, thanking him profusely, kissing him all over his face, and telling him that she loved him excitedly. After a few seconds of this, she stopped, with Naruto looking at her with an amused smirk, while Kana was looking at the two of them with her jaw on the ground while Yuriko just stood there impassively, though her eyes showed that she didn't know what to make of that display.

Kushina just backed away from Naruto, laughing sheepishly and blushing in embarrassment, "Err…sorry. Got a little carried away, there."

"I don't mind…" Naruto teased, his smirk widening.

Naruto then escorted them out of the room and showed them where they would be staying. Each room had its own bathroom, complete with sit-down shower and bathtub. None of them had many clothes with them except Kushina, who had packed all of her gear and personal effects into sealing scrolls ahead of time.

Once he showed them to their roons, Naruto went back to his office and made arrangements with the mayor's office to have some of his Public Relations staff come by his quarters to give Kushina, Yuriko and Kana the VIP treatment and attend them through the Commercial District while he stayed there and handled his affairs. Kana declined the tour, stating that she wasn't feeling up to going out and about. Given that they were not only reducing her dosage of Drive, but also slowly extending the length of time between injections, it was clear to them that her withdrawal was being felt more acutely at the moment. Yuriko would give her another injection some time the next day.

Once the PR Reps of Furontia picked up Kushina and Yuriko and left with them, Naruto returned to his office to perform some additional work that he wanted done away from prying eyes. Kana decided to talk to Naruto, believing that the present was as good a time as any. She returned to his office, where she could see him furiously working once again.

"Naruto-san?" Kana began apprehensively, interrupting him while he was working.

He turned his gaze to her, "Yes?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Oh…kay…" Naruto responded, somewhat warily.

Kana sighed in exasperation as she rephrased her request, "Can I have a few moments of your time, please?"

"Much better," Naruto responded, satisfied, "Of course, you can, Kana-chan. Have a seat," he added while gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. Kana accepted the invitation and took the seat.

"What did you mean when you claimed to be the Uzumaki Clan Head? Who made you the head of Kaa-chan's clan?"

"The Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai did. You see," Naruto entered lecture mode, "Normally, the Clan Head would normally choose a successor to carry on as the leader of the clan, but…once every so often, someone comes along who is able to awaken all four levels of the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai. Leadership of the clan is immiediately transferred to this person should such an event occur, as it's so rare that it's only happened to six people within the last several hundred years, including me."

"What Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai? I've never heard of Kaa-chan having a Kekkei Genkai."

"That's because Kushina-chan doesn't know much about the Uzumaki Clan as a whole, and most of what she does know, I've supplied her with since we started travelling together."

Naruto proceeded to explain to Kana about the sentient chakra of the Uzumaki Clan, and also encouraged her to talk to Kushina about the trial she underwent to keep her bloodline six months back.

Seemingly at random, Kana asked, "Why do you call her 'Kushina-chan'? Why don't you call her 'Kaa-san' or something like that?"

Naruto paused at that, thinking about how to answer that question before deciding to take the direct approach, "Because she's not my mother."

"What do you mean she's not your mother? Yes, she is."

"Kana-chan, she's never been a mother to me. The things she did with you – the fun stuff, the times where you laughed together, the times when she'd hold you when you were crying…the things that a mother does – she never did those things for me. My childhood wasn't fun, I never laughed at home, and when I was crying, I was left there, alone, to my own devices, while she avoided me. Kana-chan, what if that was your experience with her? Would you be able to call her 'Kaa-chan' after all that?"

"But Tou-sama's journals said…"

"I know, and that's something she and I have already talked about and resolved. And while it was all staged, it doesn't change the fact that it happened. She and I will never have a mother/son relationship, but we're working to build whatever relationship we can. And actually, if you must know, I'm not genetically-related to her or you anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me: Do you know what demons are?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

Naruto smiled knowingly, "Just humor me."

"Well, they're evil spirits who hate humans and want to destroy us all."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at that, "And who told you that?"

She answered in a subdued, embarrassed tone, "My tou-sama…"

"Mm, hmm," Naruto responded with a knowing nod, "This might come as a shock to you, but comparing a demon to a human is much the same as comparing a bird to a wolf."

"What do you mean?"

"Demons are just a different species of creature than humans are, that's it."

"What?"

"Yeah. Just like with humans, some are monsters, some aren't. Kyuubi is a demon, she's not a monster. Minato-teme is not a demon…but he **is** a monster."

Kana looked downward before answering, "I can't argue with you there after reading his own journals."

"I am a demon, as well, Kana-chan. An accident happened that required Kyuubi to change my DNA from human to demon to keep me alive. I'm not Kushina's son or your brother anymore, because I'm no longer a human being."

Kana gasped at that before her face displayed several emotions. Not knowing what to say, her face settled into a grimace of sorts a she belted out, "And that's another thing! Why are you being so nice to me, huh?"

"Say what?" asked Naruto, truly confused.

"What's this all about? What's your game, huh?" she yelled out.

"What are you so angry about this time?" he asked resignedly.

"I'm NOT angry, I'm just frustrated!"

Naruto frowned in confusion before raising an eyebrow, "Okay…why?"

"Because I can't figure you out!" she blurted out, all pretense of trying to choose her words carefully now gone, "I've been raised to hate you and try to control you! I've tried to kill you, and you've spared my life, but the last time, you beat me up severely! And now you're being kind to me! All I've ever known to do is hate you, and now I have no idea how to act around you! I don't know what to expect from you, I don't know what to say to you, and I can't stand always waiting for the other shoe to drop…" her voice began to crack as she continued, "…because I don't know when you're going to just turn on me and…" a few sobs escaped her throat as she lost her voice.

"Kana…why do you think I'm going to suddenly turn on you?"

She answered while weeping in fright, "Because it's what I would do if I was in your place! And…I feel like that's what I deserve! I don't understand why you haven't, already!"

She began to sob uncontrollably after that. Naruto just reacted the way he'd come to learn to react to a crying woman – he got up, came around and wrapped his arms around Kana's diminutive form. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around him without even thinking and just cried loudly into his chest as she continued spewing out whatever came to mind.

"I always wanted to call Tou-sama 'tou-chan'! Everything I did was because I wanted him to approve of me! I could tell how he felt about you, and how he treated you…and I thought he'd love me if I did the same!"

She continued bawling into his chest, as Naruto just rubbed her back and the back of her head in a comforting manner.

"I thought if I did that, he'd stop…" she sniffed and continued, "…he'd stop looking at me with those cold, awful eyes of his. Kami, I hate his eyes! Even through his smile, his eyes were always dark and evil, somehow! I was always scared that I'd do something to make him angry and I didn't know what he'd do to me!"

'_Is this really what's underneath all that hostility? Is she really just a frightened little girl who just wants someone to love her?'_ Naruto mused thoughtfully as he continued to comfort the vulnerable child in his arms.

"I've never said I was sorry…because he never said he was sorry! And for what it's worth, Onii-sama…" Naruto's eyes widened at the term of respect with which she addressed him, "…I really am sorry! I'm trying so hard, I really am!"

"Easy there…" Naruto interrupted, causing her to pull her face from his chest and look up at him. She became weak in the knees at the smile he gave her, and his eyes…where her father's were always cold, Naruto's were somewhat hardened to be sure, but they were also sincere and warm.

Naruto continued, "…I can see that you're trying **very** hard. I've noticed that you catch yourself more when your old hostility wants to come out. I've seen you making an effort to be nice to me, even though you're not really sure how to. I see that you're holding your tongue when you want to lash out at everyone around you…and I can only imagine how much worse your Drive withdrawal must be making it for you."

Kana tried to smile, but her quivering lips and sobs made the expression impossible for her.

Naruto then asked, "So, why does my approval matter so much to you right now?"

"I dunno…" she said weakly though her crying as she looked downward, "…I guess because I feel like your opinion matters. You're the first man to be nice to me…just to be nice to me. You're so amazing – you rule this city, you can do all kind of things with machines and seals, you can fight better than anyone I've ever seen…" an unconscious blush crept across her cheeks as she listed the good qualities she'd observed in Naruto since her capture, "…and Kaa-chan's happier than I've ever seen her before, especially when she talks to you. It's like she's in love with you or something…" Naruto raised an eyebrow at that.

Seeing that she was done, Naruto leaned in and kissed her forehead, causing her to gasp and shed fresh tears. She brought her gaze up to him once he pulled back from her head. There was that wonderful smile again that turned her knees to jelly. Her pulse quickened and her breathing hitched as she saw that smile, reaching those wonderful eyes of his so brilliantly.

"Then you have my approval," Naruto offered, "And I have to give you credit for just how hard you're trying with me. But you need to relax more, okay? I'm not going to turn on you, and I'm not going to leave you behind."

Kana did manage a grateful smile at that. Naruto then continued, "Well, you've said that you don't really know how to approach me. Let me ask you something – how do you want me to treat you?"

"Well…" Kana began, biting her lower lip nervously, "…at first, I thought I wanted to be treated like a princess, but…I guess more than anything else, I want to just be treated like a person, instead of some kind of doll or prize."

"That's how I'll treat you, then. And believe it or not, that's how I'd like you to treat me – as my own individual. Get to know me, how I think, how I react. And just treat me with respect while you do that. If you do that, you've got nothing to worry about, okay?"

She nodded tearfully, still smiling as she leaned into him once more for another hug, this time with her chin resting on his shoulder next to the crook in his neck. After a few moments, something inside of her just…came out. She brought one of her hands to the opposite side of his face from where here was, and kissed his cheek. After that, she immediately moved from his cheek and planted a kiss on his lips, causing him to widen his eyes.

He quickly pulled back and asked, "Kana-chan, what are you doing?"

"Trying to make up for how mean I was to you…"

"It's okay, Kana-chan, really…"

"Make love to me…" she interrupted.

Naruto immediately pulled back and retorted, "You're not ready for that!"

She looked stricken as she asked, "Why not? Is it because I 'haven't started growing tits yet', as you so aptly put it?"

"That's not it at all, and don't you even think about trying to pull a guilt trip on me," he responded firmly before continuing, "You already know you didn't know me enough to hate me as much as you did, but the opposite's also true – you don't know me well enough to like me that much, either, and as I said, you're not ready for that kind of relationship – with anyone!"

"Well, when will I be, huh?" she snapped back loudly.

Kushina's voice answered the question from the doorway, "When you're a little older than thirteen, young lady."

Kana snapped her head around, her eyes wide in shock, "Kaa-chan!"

"Kame-kun's right. You're not ready for an adult relationship like that at this point in your life. With that kind of relationship come certain responsibilities that you don't have the maturity or the experience to handle. Be patient; you'll be ready in time," she finished with a smile.

Kana, seeing that her mother wasn't trying to discourage her, sighed and nodded, deciding to trust her mother and Naruto. After a few moments of comfortable silence between them, Kana turned to Naruto and asked, "Errm, is it…okay if I call you Kame-kun as well?"

Naruto chuckled and answered, "Sure, why not? And do you want me to call you anything?"

"Well…" she thought once more, biting her lower lip before answering, "…if I think of something I'll let you know."

Naruto nodded, while Kushina smiled at the interaction between the two.

"Kana-chan, why don't you get some rest? You look tired."

"Yeah…I think I will. Thanks again…Naru-kun," she responded, saying his name somewhat nervously. With that she walked towards her mother and hugged her, "Thank you, Kaa-chan."

"You're welcome, sweetie. You go rest, now."

Kana pulled away from her mother and left the office in the direction of her room. After she'd left, Naruto asked Kushina, "How much did you hear?"

"Just about all of it. I came back because I'd forgotten the account card you gave me, so I…thought I'd listen in on your conversation and see how things were progressing between you two?" she finished with a rather sheepish expression.

Naruto just smiled, "Well, I have to tell you, I didn't expect the explanation I got from her as to why she treated me that way."

"Yeah, neither did I. But, I am glad that you two were able to make some progress today."

Naruto simply nodded thoughtfully, his eyes closed.

"Well…I'm off. I'll talk to you later…Kame-koi."

"Okay, Saru-hime."

Kushina left, intent on buying a few things, with some purposes in mind that Naruto would never have begun to guess at.

Naruto, free from distraction now, found a scroll and began to work on something he'd been meaning to put together since the say that he and Kushina had talked about their intentions towards each other. He only hoped that his Saru-hime liked what he was about to do…

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A/N: Interesting... isn't it?


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: ...I know everyone got a bit... bitchy over the petition I put up earlier. But sorry for doing something right.

XxxxxX

To those worried about any of my stories being deleted. I have every chapter of every fanfic of mine on my hard drive. (I have about 90% of my favorite fanfic's on my hard drive as well. (Unlike most, I tend to expect the worst of admin's and mods so I prepare early) So stop pming me about it.

I'd share, but a lot of you seem to think sharing online is bad... so this pirate will keep to himself and what odd choice of friends he has. (Though if anyone does like sharing, I'll even put up a link to mediafire to a rar file that has each chapter of my fics, if anyone wants to have their own back-up, just pm me)

To the idiot who thinks Mifune is a "Gary stu" ...last time I checked and I check 24/7 considering I write the story, but when did Mifune actually come into the story? Yeah, he was talked about, but anything other than that?

What's that? Oh he hasn't been seen doing anything in the story? Thought so, dumbass. And yes, I do retain the right to call someone a dumbass if they're being one. (and granted, I'm not in the best of moods)

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Naruto went over the document he had just drafted, his…special present for Kushina. He chuckled quietly to himself as he imagined what her reaction would be. It might have been rather simple, but Naruto considered it one of his finer pieces of work, especially as he had done it for someone that, dare he admit it, he had come to greatly like, and might even be growing to love. He scanned it once more, making sure that there were no errors.

_From: Naruto Uzumaki, Ruling Head, Uzumaki Clan_

_To: Clerk of Courts, Hi no Kuni_

_RE: Clan-sanctioned marital annulment of Uzumaki Clan member_

_By the power and authority vested in me as the ruling Head of the Uzumaki Clan, I declare that the marriage of my clanswoman, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, to Minato Namikaze, is hereby and forevermore null and void. The grounds for this marital annulment are as follows:_

_Entrance into marriage by Minato Namikaze under fraudulent pretenses_

_Mental and Emotional Cruelty to Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze by Minato Namikaze_

_Abuse of Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze's children, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and Kana Uzumaki-Namikaze, by Minato Namikaze_

_Please see the attached documents for evidence of these charges. As the Daimyo knows, the Uzumaki Clan has the legal right to annul marriages if said Clan feels that one of its members is in danger as a result of the marriage, and only the clansman's or clanswoman's approval is required for such an annulment to be made legally binding. As the Clan Head, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of my clansmen, even those who have been given in marriage outside of the Clan._

_I have included the official Uzumaki Clan seal, infused with my chakra as the Clan's Head. Your archivist should be able to authenticate the seal, and failing this, the Daimyo himself will be able to authenticate it. If any additional evidence is required, please let me know via the courier that has just delivered these documents, and I will be happy to provide all that you require._

_Endorsement: Naruto Uzumaki, Head of Uzumaki Clan_

_Endorsement: (currently blank, awaiting Kushina's signature)_

Smirking in satisfaction, Naruto thought to himself, _'Minato-teme's going to hate me even more_ _for this. If there's one thing he hates even more than disobedience to him, it's embarrassment.'_

Naruto then took a moment to glance around the room, noting the annoying brightness that was flooding in from outside.

_'Whose idea was it to put windows in this room anyway?'_ he thought offhandedly as the glare from the sun bothered him while he was working. He disliked the sunlight of the east half of the Wastes and the surrounding area; it was far too bright in his opinion. He much preferred the more moderate sun of the west half of the Wastes, particularly in the area housing his stronghold and the seemingly-endless lush plant life surrounding it.

After about ten minutes, he couldn't deal with it any longer. He stood up and pressed the switch by the windows, waiting as they tinted themselves until they were almost black. Once the room was a more comfortable color to his eye, he released the switch and sat back down.

"Much better," he muttered while he started again…only to realize that he had just finished his task.

Naruto allowed himself a sheepish grin, and rolled up the marital annulment he had just written for Kushina, placing it in one of the pockets on the inside of his coat. He'd give it to her when he deemed would be the best time for Kushina to read it, which would likely be just before they left for his stronghold out west. He leaned back in his chair in thought for a few minutes, taking a mental tally of any additional supplies he would need to procure, considering how he might improve Furontia's defenses and economy, and what he needed to do with the women in his party who would be a mainstay in his life for foreseeable future.

After a few minutes of just letting his mind go wild, Naruto stood up and left the small office. He found that he missed his crowded workshop at the stronghold, and couldn't wait to get back there. Putting that aside, he decided that he needed to get some air. He sighed and headed to Kana's room to let her know that he was leaving the house for a while.

When he reached her door, he knocked on it lightly…

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

'_What came over me? Why did I ask him to make love to me…out of the blue like that?'_

Kana was lying in the guest bed that Naruto provided her, confused and baffled at her recent actions. Just a week ago, she hated Naruto. In fact, her heart's desire was to kill him! But now, she had no such desire at all. If anything, she wanted him safe, and she wanted to do her part in keeping him safe, just like he'd been doing with her ever since she became his prisoner…

She couldn't help the wry smile that crept across her face at the irony of her situation. Her mother had told her last week when they had captured her that she had no rights at all except for those that Naruto chose to give to her. Despite that, she'd found that after she accepted her situation, she'd been treated better than she ever was in Konoha.

It was her treatment at Naruto's hands that had puzzled her the most. After the beating he gave her…that she had brought upon herself, she noted…Naruto never hurt her or abused her in any way. He'd been very gracious to her – far more gracious than she'd ever been to him. When she would snap at him or say something hateful, Naruto would simply walk away and opt not to deal with her, while Kushina would correct her behavior. It had confused her greatly that never once did Naruto respond in kind when she antagonized him. When it finally sank in that he wasn't going to, her frustration with him was compounded by a deep sense of shame. Naruto was a better person than she'd ever been.

But there was also the issue of her own burgeoning attraction to him, which was only made stronger when she had started to see just what kind of person he was. Two days in a row, she'd had the dream she used to have as a little girl, where she'd be walking down the aisle, about to be given in marriage to her prince…only this time she could recognize the face of her bridegroom. It was Naruto's face! She was being given to Naruto as a wife…and this revelation had made her euphorically excited in the dream. And unlike the other times where she'd had the dream, these last two times she could remember every vivid detail!

This, of course, was counterbalanced by the lingering fear that he would abandon her and leave her to die out in the wild after deciding he'd had enough of her antagonism. She found it odd that this fear was another factor that led to her trying to pick fights with him on the journey here. Yet, despite it all, her handsome captor didn't leave her to her own devices…

Thoughts of her attraction to him brought a wistful smile to her face and a faraway look to her eyes, _'He's definitely the best-looking man I've ever seen. Even Tou-sama, who's very handsome, doesn't have anything on Naru-kun. And I get to live with him, now…oh wait, I'm his prisoner – I hope he doesn't put me in a cell or something. Maybe I can ask him to regard me as a guest instead…or who knows? Maybe he'll let me sleep in his bed with him…'_

This brought her thoughts back to her actions in his office, _'…and there I go again. I'm so confused – why do I feel this overwhelming desire to be touched by him…or to touch him everywhere I can? I've never felt like this before. Is this…what love is? Well, at least Kaa-chan didn't seem to object to my feelings; she just objected to my acting on them right now. And he is a clan head, so it's not like he'll be bound to one woman. Maybe…maybe Naru-kun and I could have a future together…'_

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Kana-chan, you still awake?" she heard Naruto's voice asking from the other side of the door.

"Yes, I am," the girl replied, before adding a few seconds later, "You can come in," guessing that he'd probably stand outside if she didn't.

The door opened to reveal Naruto. He came into the room quietly and closed the door behind him before saying, "I'm heading out for a while – I need to get some air, so you'll be here alone until Yuriko-san and Saru-chan come back."

He set a small device on the end table next to her and sat down on the bed beside her. After looking at the device, Kana gave him a curious look.

"It's like the out-of-date radios you're used to. If your withdrawal acts up or if you need anything, just put that on your ear. It'll turn itself on and you can contact me, okay?"

"This…tiny little thing can do that?" she asked, wondering how something so small did that.

"Yeah, but it's only a prototype, so it only goes to me, as I have the other one," he answered, while pointing to the device that was already over his own ear. He was asked a lot of these kinds of questions when introducing new inventions in Furontia, and as such had come to expect them.

"If it doesn't work or you find yourself unable to put it on, hit the red button on it. It'll alert me that something is wrong and I'll be here in a matter of seconds," he told her reassuringly.

"Seems simple enough…" she muttered not sure what else to say, "Okay…thank you," she added a bit embarrassed, rarely ever having said those two words.

"You're welcome," he replied, moving to stand up.

"Wait," Kana blurted out, grabbing his hand. Naruto turned to look at Kana, who was looking at him in a hopeful, expectant manner.

She asked in an apprehensive yet expectant tone, "Do you have to go right now?"

Naruto frowned back in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I can't seem to fall asleep, and…well…" Kana blushed as she finished her thought, "…I'd like to spend some time with you."

Naruto smiled softly in response to that. He sat back down and responded, "Well, as much as I would like to accommodate you, I really do have to take care of some things…" Naruto paused as if in thought before continuing a few moments later, "…tell you what - we are going to be here for a few days, at least, as it'll take a while to procure everything we'll need for the trek out into the Wastes. I also want to take you into our medical complex to get you a full checkup and physical so that we can be sure that your body and mind are handling your Drive withdrawal safely. After that, I'll take you out – just you and me, and we can do whatever you want. How does that sound?"

"Really?" she asked in an excited and hopeful tone. He nodded in response, causing her to sit up and hug him in response.

"Thank you…Kame-kun," she said softly, her gratitude and excitement evident even in her soft-voiced answer. She once again gave him a lingering kiss on his cheek before pulling away from him and laying back down.

"Alright then, well…don't mess up the place," Naruto said with an amused smirk on his face, "That's my job and I won't be fired so easily."

Kana rolled her eyes, but her giggle told him that she found it a bit funny.

"Later," replied Kana before rolling over, returning to resting while Naruto left the room and closed the door behind him. Kana closed her eyes as sleep began to overtake her. Her final conscious thoughts were of how nice it was that a man, for the first time in her life, wasn't treating her like a ninja, or a princess, or like a delicate object…but was just treating her like a girl. A smile and a blush could be seen on the sleeping girl's face as dreams of being married to her Naru-kun flooded her unconscious mind once more, but this time, they went beyond the altar…proceeding well into the wedding night…

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Naruto walked to Furontia's Flower Garden Park. A lot of people were gathered in one place, and he knew why. One of his KOS-AGI's was in the park, and she was singing. He could hear the song from where he was standing. He sighed contentedly as he followed the voice.

_Oh wild flower_

_ah, could you please tell me_

_Why do people hurt each other_

_and fight each other?_

Naruto worked his way through the small crowd that was sitting on the grass listening to a dark haired teen singing softly under a sakura tree. She took notice of him immediately, but continued to sing without messing up. He sat down on the grass, listening just like everyone else. He enjoyed it when she sang.

_Oh dignified flower,_

_what can you see from there?_

_And why can't people_

_forgive each other?_

_In a summer with much rain_

_blue was substituted._

_Becoming one,_

_it faintly wavered_

_in front of me_

_without saying a word._

_What do you feel_

_towards a dying friend?_

_How much love can those wordless leaves_

_convey?_

_The summer sun gets clouded,_

_the wind was swayed by it._

_Joining them together,_

_I will sing_

_the proof of life_

_for those nameless ones._

Everyone lightly clapped after she was finished.

"Arigatou," she said politely bowing to them before walking over to Naruto while everyone else went about their business.

Naruto stood up and looked at the teenager who just gave him a smile.

"Satsuki-chan, I see you're keeping yourself busy. Have you been doing this since I left for Konoha?" he asked curiously, wondering what his KOS-AGI had been up to since he left.

"Uh huh," replied the dark haired teen cheerfully, "I have a large audience now. Some are even here before I come here to sing, Naruto-sama."

"Kame-kun?" said a familiar voice, causing Naruto to turn around and see Kushina, Yuriko and their tour guide, "You know this young lady?"

Satsuki's tone and posture immediately became cold and tense upon sighting the redhead. Her eyes also developed a red glow as she announced in a cold yet aggressive manner, "Registered threat Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze identified. Entering combat mode. Awaiting Naruto-sama's orders to terminate hostile."

Both Kushina and Yuriko seemed completely taken aback by Satsuki's sudden change in demeanor…as well as her suddenly-emotionless façade. Kushina grew fearful at Satsuki's sudden declaration of her as an enemy, while Yuriko seemed genuinely impressed – even the best-trained ROOTs didn't have such a fine ability to completely shut down their emotions at well in the manner that this woman did.

Naruto, on the other hand, looked back at Satsuki who was now glaring at Kushina and Yuriko as if ready for them to make the wrong move, "Satsuki, register Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze and Yuriko…" he pointed to Yuriko, indicating who she was to the brunette, "…as friends. Terminate combat mode, resume friendly mode, then please explain to them how we know each other. Also, while you're at it, register Kana Uzumaki-Namikaze as neutral."

Satsuki pulled an odd device from a pouch on her leg and placed it over her eyes, "Yes, Naruto-sama. Updating registration of Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze and Kana Uzumaki-Namikaze and adding Yuriko to the database," stated the dark-haired teenager in a mechanical manner. After a couple of minutes of silence, she removed the device and pocketed it.

"Update completed," she said looking at Naruto then looked at the two women, speaking in a warmer and decidedly less-mechanical manner, "Kushina-san, Yuriko-san, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Satsuki. Naruto-sama and I know each other because he created me."

Both women stared at him with wide eyes and he could guess the questions forming in their heads right now. Kushina seemed to recover from her shock at almost being attacked by this woman, while Yuriko found herself impressed once more at her ability to turn her emotions back on so quickly after seeming to literally turn them off.

"Yes, I created her and sixty-two others," he stated calmly. He always knew exactly how many KOS-AGI's he had created, as he regarded them as living beings with their own personas and traits as opposed to machines, so he always took care to learn and remember all of their names, and exactly how many of them there were.

"So uh…_what_ exactly is she?" asked Kushina, confused as she looked at the dark haired girl who was now humming to herself.

"One of my KOS-AGI's…in the simplest terms, she is a mixture of machine and human," he said as it was quite difficult to explain how he created the KOS-AGI's, "She is not made of _parts_ like a machine is, she's flesh, blood, bone and a bit of steel."

"Steel?" questioned Yuriko, finding it odd.

"Her spine," stated Naruto having Satsuki turn around, then traced his finger up the girl's spinal column, causing her to shiver as he did it, "Regular human spine's are... easy to break. Satsuki's spine can't be broken. She's like anyone else you'll meet…more or less. She also has a brain that is part organic and part cybernetic, which gives her certain advantages and enables her to do the kind of work I need for her to do."

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he saw Kushina glaring at him, "So you have…a lot of _women_ like her at your stronghold? Just as cute, pretty and such?" she asked with venom in her tone.

"Yes, I do," he answered as her glare intensified. He looked at Satsuki who moved in front of him and stared back at Kushina, who was taken aback once more at her sudden guard.

"Leave Naruto-sama alone," warned Satsuki annoyed at the look the redhead had been giving Naruto, "Naruto-sama may have created myself and the others, but he doesn't do anything wrong, so stop being mean to him…" she added returning Kushina's glare, "…and registered friend or not, as I have no context upon which to interpret your actions and speech, if I deem you to be a threat to him, I will deal with you accordingly…and that is something you don't want me to do."

"They're also quite protective of me…" muttered Naruto offhandedly, before patting Satsuki on the head, "Let's go, we have things to get and I need your help Satsu-chan," he added not really wanting a battle to start in the middle of the park between these two.

"Where's Kana?" asked Kushina deciding to ignore the dark haired girl now.

"She's probably asleep in her room," answered Naruto casually, "I told her I was leaving and if anything happened or if she needed anything, she could use the small radio I gave her to contact me."

"Okay…now we're going to continue, but we _are_ going to talk about your secret little harem, Kame-_san_," stated Kushina seriously before she and the others continued on their way.

"Kushi-chan…" he said quickly and firmly, causing Kushina to stop in her tracks and look back at him.

Leveling a stern glare of his own that unnerved her, he continued, "We've talked before about you jumping to conclusions before you gather all of the facts. We've also talked about you judging me before you get to know me…" Naruto narrowed his eyes as his gaze turned darker, his tone taking even more of an edge, "…please don't do that again, or we are going to have a major issue."

Kushina looked stricken at Naruto's words, tone and glare. Her stricken expression quickly morphed into an angry grimace. To Naruto's surprise, she started to march right up to him. Satsuki moved into her path…only to be shoved aside, not even slowing Kushina down. As Satsuki got up to enter combat mode, Yuriko, sensing what was going to happen, immediately subdued the seemingly-teenage cyborg, tying her up with top-grade ninja wire and not giving her enough leverage to snap her bindings. Naruto couldn't help but notice how fast Yuriko had subdued his KOS-AGI and found himself quite impressed with her speed.

Once Kushina was inside Naruto's personal space, she started poking her finger into his chest while yelling right into his face, "Now you listen and you listen good, Bucko!"

"Bucko?" Naruto mouthed as his face immediately morphed into a frown of incredulous confusion, while Kushina continued to berate him, "What happened back in Orochimaru's lab and this right here are two completely different things! I was out of line, then; I admitted it then and I'll admit it now! But I am not making cruel judgments about you right now! You want to talk about not judging others before you know them? You make sure that you practice what you preach! Don't be so hypocritical with me, or you're right – we WILL have a major problem! Don't ever jump to conclusions like that with me, again! Understand?"

Naruto simply stared wide-eyed at the woman who was in his face, his emotional state a mixture of confusion, intrigue and amusement. She was certainly angry, but taking a closer look, he could see that her eyes were just beginning to water, indicating to him that he had hurt her feelings, confusing him greatly. He began to sputter, not really knowing what to say, and also not wanting to hurt her feelings more by laughing at the situation. The shock of this woman, knowing she was substantially weaker than him, having the raw courage to stand up to him in such a manner, completely took him by surprise; this is what he found himself intrigued and amused by…and a little aroused, as well.

'_Must be my demonic impulses. She'd certainly make a strong mate for me,'_ he thought to himself.

He was brought out of his musings by another angry yell from Kushina, "I asked you a question! **Do you understand me?**"

"I gotcha, I gotcha," Naruto said somewhat sheepishly with an embarrassed smile, his hands raised defensively before asking reasonably, "Look, let's sit down and talk about this more calmly later, okay? This seems like a big misunderstanding…"

Kushina just looked at him, her angry grimace not letting up. After a few moments, she forcefully turned her gaze downward and away from him before turning her whole body around and walking away. She stopped when she reached the bound KOS-AGI before turning to her and getting in her face much the same way she'd gotten into Naruto's.

Glaring at the young girl, she growled out, "And if you ever try to stop me again from giving him a piece of my mind when he full well deserves it, I will kick your ass from here to Kiri!" she slugged the KOS-AGI in the nose as hard as she could to drive her point home, causing Naruto to wince for the poor girl. She then proceeded to storm off with her tour guide, Yuriko releasing the girl from her bindings and following them, offering a sheepish look of apology to both Naruto and Satsuki as she left.

Satsuki's eyes turned red as she proceeded to activate her combat mode before Naruto immediately ordered, "Satsuki, stand down! Terminate combat mode and take no hostile action!"

Satsuki did as instructed. Her eyes returned to their normal hue as she turned to Naruto and asked curiously, "Are you sure that registering her as 'friendly' was the right thing to do?"

Naruto just shrugged in response, "Well, the truth is that part of me agrees with her: I think I did deserve it. I'm not sure why, which is why I need to talk to her later. I didn't tell her about you and the others because I simply didn't think to. I've also got to admit…" he smiled wryly as he continued, "…that I kind of liked it when she stood up to me like that. But anyway…" his demeanor changed to a more cheerful disposition, "…let's go; we have things to get and I need to make sure you're up to par for them. Let's also get that nose looked at," he finished as they started walking out of the park in the direction opposite Kushina and Yuriko.

"Okay," replied Satsuki following right behind him.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

In Furontia's small but budding cybernetics laboratory, Naruto was currently hooking Satsuki into the lab's main computer network via the dataport that was at the base of her skull. He had just brought her from the medical facility to get her treated for a broken nose, and there was no longer any sign of her ever sustaining an injury. She was laying on a metal table with a cushion lining for the KOS-AGI's comfort. Monitors measuring her vital signs and the efficiency and power of her cybernetic components were suspended behind the end of the table where her head was, about ten feet above the floor. His staff were all performing system checks and pre-download routines to ensure that the procedure that was about to be performed was done as safely as possible. After hooking Satsuki in, Naruto examined the monitors around the download terminal, seeing that everything was normal.

"Okay, Satsu-chan, we're going to adjust you for optimal performance in the computer system of the Shelter. So, O2 level calibration, system and shelter maintenance procedures, optimization of power to the Shelter, all of the basics of running it. Routine stuff, okay?"

"I understand, Naruto-sama," Satsuki replied cheerfully, giving Naruto an affectionate smile.

Naruto returned her smile and proceeded to the main workstation in the room. He sat down and punched in the routine commands to look at the information he wanted to view from his monitor.

"Commencing procedure…" Naruto performed a few more keystrokes before hitting the enter button on the keyboard while saying, "…now."

Satsuki's voice became robotic and emotionless, "Download of O2 calibration archive commencing."

After a few seconds, Satsuki said in the same tone, "O2 calibration archive downloaded successfully. Accessing downloaded archive and preparing to unzip all files, objects and functions for full mental integration."

Naruto and everyone in the room continued working, monitoring her procedure.

"So far, so good," Naruto reported calmly.

Satsuki spoke up a few moments later, "Mental integration of O2 calibration archive successful. Download of system and shelter maintenance procedures archive commencing."

A few more seconds passed before Satsuki again spoke up, "System and shelter maintenance procedures archive downloaded successfully. Accessing downloaded archive and preparing to unzip all files, objects and functions for full mental integration."

Everything was proceeding as normal for a good half a minute when all of a sudden, the lights in the room shut down, red flashing lights began to light up the room, and an alert siren blared loudly. Naruto's fingers froze on the keyboard in mid stroke at the sudden malfunction. In a panic, he looked over at Satsuki's terminal to see her body spasming and quivering, though no sonds were coming from her mouth. Upon seeing this, Naruto became scared, and he immediately hit a series of keystrokes and switches in order to initiate an abort procedure. He looked at his monitor while he did this, and the words that he saw in big bold red letters stunned him.

ACCESS DENIED!

"What the…" he breathed out, surprised that he was denied access into his own system. He looked at Satsuki, who had somehow managed to turn her head towards him and stare at him while her body was twitching. Naruto suddenly got the message she was trying to pass to him through her eyes.

"That's impossible; Satsuki locked me out!" he muttered as he shook himself out of his stupor and began to work faster, trying to override the lock that Sasuki had placed on the systems in the room. After a few moments, his frustration started to get the better of him.

"Hey! What the hell is going on?!" he demanded to the others in the room who were frantically working at their stations trying to identify the cause of the alarm so they could contain it.

"We don't know, sir," one of the men responded, trying to keep his cool, "This just happened so quickly and seemingly out of nowhere. We're trying to figure this out right now!"

Naruto worked for a few more minutes at a mind-numbing pace to break the encryption that Satsuki had placed over the systems. Once he managed to crack it, he performed a manual reset of all systems, turning off the alarm and causing all of the computers and consoles in the room to shut down and reboot. Once the lights turned back to normal, Naruto got up from his workstation and walked over to the datalink station that Satsuki was jacked into. He quickly disconnected the plug from the dataport behind her neck and pulled her off of the metal table she was laying on.

"Hey, Satsuki, are you still in there?" he asked a bit worriedly, he didn't like forcefully pulling her out of the system but judging how poorly the data linking procedure went, he had no choice.

"More or less," replied the dark haired teen with her eyes closed, her voice somewhat strained with discomfort, "I'm going to have a headache for a while, though…" she added before opening her eyes slightly.

"I think I got it all – that's good, right?" she asked Naruto sheepishly.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at her, asking accusingly, "So you locked me out so that you could finish the download and unzip it all?"

Satsuki nodded.

"So while I was panicking, you were cramming knowledge…" Naruto closed his eyes and brought his fingers to his nose, sighing in both relief and frustration, "I don't know whether to pat you on the back for getting it all or thump you on the head for pulling that little stunt."

Naruto seemed to think about it before patting her on the back, "Good job with getting it all, Satsuki…" and then he thumped her on the head, "…and that's for locking me out and not removing yourself immediately. Unlike System, you and the others weren't made to remain connected during malfunctions; you could have really hurt yourself!"

His face settled into a smile as he stood up, "But you're fine, so I shouldn't too hard on you. Just don't do that again, okay? You had me worried, there. If something is wrong, just disconnect."

"Hai~" said Satsuki with a smile, rubbing her head where he thumped.

Naruto shook his head at the girl, _'I understand they like to try and meet my expectations, but they still don't get that I don't want them to hurt themselves in the process. Well, with enough patience they'll learn…I hope.'_

He offered Satsuki his hand to assist her off of the table, which she took. Naruto ordered, "Run a diagnostic on yourself, Satsu-chan. I want to be sure you're in the same condition as you went in."

"Alright," replied Satsuki before bringing out her visor, placing it on her head. The device expanded, covering her eyes.

"Scanning," added the dark haired girl robotically. After a few minutes she said, "Diagnostic completed. No mental damage detected. But I believe that one of my processing chips is displaced, causing the download to become problematic."

She removed the visor and placed it back in her pouch. Naruto was more relieved than he was a few moments ago, "Alright, since you got everything you needed, you can go about your business. I still need to go around town and get the rest of what we need. I'll alert you when we're ready to depart for the Stronghold. I'll also have a word with Kushina about keeping her temper in check – sorry about her, by the way."

Satsuki nodded in acknowledgment of Naruto's instructions. With that, Satsuki and Naruto left the lab and went their separate ways.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Minato growled in frustration and anger as more and more things were going wrong since the little bastard's escape from confinement. First, his wife, of all people, helps him escape and goes with him, causing him no undue amount of embarrassment. To add insult to injury, Orochimaru's entire facility was destroyed, and all of his research gone! And Naruto had been thorough, too: he also destroyed all of Orochimaru's backups as well, as the entire facility was brought down by Kami only knows how many exploding tags! To add even further insult, half of Minato's face and a good portion of his body was horribly scarred and disfigured from burns as a result of his inability to get out of the explosion on time.

Then Kana, that stupid little punk, had to go off half-cocked and chase them! He still hadn't received any kind of word as to her whereabouts or the status of the mission he sent his ANBU on. Had they been captured…or worse? Had they been caught by the authorities of any of the countries through which they were pursuing their quarry? He didn't know, and he certainly didn't want to think about the headache it would be to train another little tool like Kana. He didn't want to have to raise another child, but as bleak as things were looking right now, he had already resolved in his mind that this was likely what he would have to do.

On top of that, every single Uzumaki Clan scroll and jutsu had been taken from his library…and Kushina had not allowed for any backups to be created. Those techniques were lost to him, now! But if that wasn't already enough – he was now staring at the files he received from his bank accounts, as well as the Uzumaki Clan's accounts. They were all empty!

"That worthless, good-for-nothing whore! She not only humiliated me by leaving me, but she bankrupted me as well?" muttered Minato under his breath. He was shaking in anger. After everything he did for her, this was how she repaid him!

"When I get my hands on her, she'll pay dearly, and she'll wish she was dead when I'm done with her!" he growled darkly to himself before he heard a knock on his office door.

"Enter," he ordered sternly. The door opened revealing Danzo who entered and closed the door behind him.

"What do you want, Danzo? As you can see, I'm busy," Minato barked out unhappily as he set down the paper he was looking at.

"I've come to tell you that the…legion of ANBU that you sent after your daughter for Naruto and Kushina…are dead," replied the war hawk seriously, his expression stoic as ever.

Minato's eyes went wide before they narrowed fiercely on Danzo, "Explain! Now!"

"I sent along one of my operatives to observe the rather…odd…amount of ANBU leaving all at once. Said operative witnessed your ANBU as they were being slaughtered in less than one minute by Naruto. By the report, none of the ANBU stood a chance, even though they had successfully captured Kushina by that time."

"Why didn't your operative take down Naruto then? And what of Kana?" questioned Minato seriously. He was in the worst mood he'd been in for quite a long time, and apparently, it was going to get worse.

"My ROOT was there to observe, not to engage. If Naruto slaughtered an entire ANBU platoon within a minute, what chance do you think my single operative would have stood against him? Had my agent engaged him, he would have been slaughtered as well, and we would still have no word as to their whereabouts, thus making it much more difficult to track them and ascertain their plans. As for Kana, the report stated that Kushina and Naruto captured her," stated Danzo calmly. He paused for a moment then continued, "My agent left shortly after…though he mentioned that he had heard Kushina and Naruto mention the Wastelands in the west, they're probably heading there; for what reason? Your guess is as good as mine."

Danzo stood there, allowing Minato the time to drink in everything that had happened. He allowed himself an inward smirk, knowing that by referring to Yuriko as "he", that he had made tracking Naruto and his party much more difficult for the power-hungry fool sitting on his "throne" before him. After all, why would Minato have any reason to doubt the truth of such a small, minor, insignificant detail as the gender of the operative who is currently cooperating with Naruto and Kushina?

"So now Kana's in Naruto and Kushina's clutches, huh?" Minato asked darkly, more to himself than to Danzo.

Minato then turned to Danzo and asked, "So what do you suggest we do about this?"

Danzo raised his visible eyebrow before lowering it and answered, "I suggest we do absolutely nothing at all."

"What?!" Minato barked out, "You expect me to just let all of this slide?"

Danzo's countenance immediately changed, bringing Minato's tirade to a halt. If there was one person within Konoha that Minato feared, it was Danzo. Standing before Minato now, was a man whose patience was starting to wear thin, and who was not to be trifled with.

"Listen to me, and listen well, you stupid, petulant fool!" Danzo began loudly, "Sending any further resources to capture Naruto would simply end in Konoha losing those resources! Right now, there is nothing we can do…unless, of course, you can create some kind of super shinobi that can decimate an entire platoon of your best ANBU within the span of a minute! Can you?"

Minato growled and sighed in frustration, "No…at least not right now."

"Well, unless Orochimaru can do that for you…without his lab, without his research, and without his equipment, we are stuck with the situation we're in, whether we like it or not! Deal with it!"

Danzo didn't wait to be dismissed; he simply turned around and walked out of Minato's office, leaving the formerly-handsome blond to brood. Realizing that Danzo would be of no help to him, he turned on his intercom and ordered the secretary, "Bring me Orochimaru."

"Right away, Hokage-sama," the feminine voice on the other end responded immediately.

Minato turned his intercom off, and started to mull over what he knew of the situation with Naruto and his party in an attempt to guess their next move, or what their plans might be, _'They're traveling west, I know that. The Tetsu no Kuni outpost of Furontia serves as the border town between the Wastes and the Elemental Nations. But does Naruto know about it? He has to – he knows that he would need some kind of provisions to go out there, and it would likely stand to reason that being as smart as he is, he knows how to travel within the Wastes, as well. But why is he going there? What's out there for him? It's not like I can send an expedition in to look around. I'd have to get into Furontia first, and given their policies, any team I send won't be allowed in. I doubt infiltration would work, either, considering the rumored defenses of the place. Even if we could infiltrate, Naruto will likely be long gone by the time we get there anyway.'_

Minato growled in frustration as his pondering produced no options for him. Deciding to put the matter aside, he waited on Orochimaru's arrival, hoping to be able to find a way to somehow turn this catastrophe into an advantage.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"You summoned me, Hokage-sama?" a sinisterly smooth reptilian voice asked through the crack he just made in the Hokage's double doors.

"Yes, Orochimaru, come in," Minato offered, gesturing for the man to enter.

Orochimaru entered the office and closed the door, activating the privacy seal on it before taking a seat in front of Minato's desk. Minato took a few minutes to brief Orochimaru on the situation with Naruto, Kushina and Kana. Orochimaru just drank it all in, listening to every word. By the time Minato was done, Orochimaru assumed a thinking pose, bringing his hand to his chin.

After a few moments of this, Orochimaru asked, "So what exactly do you require of me?"

"Well," Minato began, "Danzo had mentioned that unless you could create a 'super-shinobi' without your lab, without your research and without your equipment, that there wasn't really a whole lot we could do. But this got me to thinking – even though we can't do much right now, it doesn't mean we won't be able to do something about this down the line."

Minato leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk, lacing his hands together in front of him, "Tell me something: what projects of yours are still salvageable?"

Orochimaru gazed at Minato thoughtfully, "My immortality jutsu research is still coming along, because I keep that research in a facility that isn't anywhere near this village…" Orochimaru's expression darkened before he continued, "…the only setback right now is that the brat destroyed my lab here, which contained a body that I artificially created to use as a vessel for my soul as my own body ages."

Minato gazed back at Orochimaru just as thoughtfully as Orochimaru had regarded him, "What if I can provide you with a natural vessel to which you can transfer your soul?"

Orochimaru pondered the question before answering, "It would work – though I would need to condition the body in order to make it compatible with my essence and chakra. I can only do that through the use of a curse mark jutsu that enables me to send a sample of my own chakra into the recipient's chakra coils. The drawback, as you know, is that nine out of every ten subjects dies – all of the most promising candidates for my body transfer didn't survive the addition of the curse mark to their person. This is actually why I started looking into artificially-created bodies that I could transfer into."

Minato nodded before continuing, "Well, while it's certainly riskier, I think I have a solution that will excite you."

Orochimaru looked at Minato with an intrigued smile, "Please…do tell."

Minato smirked evilly as he said, "How would you like the body of one…Sasuke Uchiha?"

Orochimaru's eyes widened in curiosity and delight, "A Sharingan user, ey? That would certainly be useful. And in exchange for the young Uchiha, Hokage-sama?"

Minato's eyes narrowed, as his evil smirk morphed into a sadistic grin, "When you perfect the immortality process…you make me immortal as well. We work together to wipe out Konoha's enemies, especially the biggest thorn in our sides – Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze…and all of the bitches that are with him. From there, who knows? The world is our oyster – I can rule and conquer, and you can research more and more until your heart's content. I know you have no desire to rule anything, as that would take away from your experimentation."

Orochimaru chuckled, "You seem to know me all too well, Minato. Very well – I accept your terms, gladly."

"Good," Minato responded, "I'll have Sasuke Uchiha transferred off of Team Seven to be apprenticed under you. You can give him the curse mark whenever you feel he's ready for it."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Orochimaru stood up and bowed, "Will that be all, then?"

"Yes, it will. You're dismissed," Minato replied in a more professional tone.

Orochimaru deactivated the privacy seal in Minato's door and left the room, leaving Minato to his own duties and machinations, while he went to continue packing his things so that he could depart to what was now to be his main lab, well outside of Konoha.

Unknown to both of them, a single ROOT operative who was in the vents had heard the entire conversation.

'_I must report this to Danzo-sama, immediately,'_ Sai thought to himself as he silently crept through the vents before finding a safe place to use his ink shunshin without leaving any chances of residue dripping out of the vent and into Minato's office.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"I see," Danzo responded thoughtfully upon listening to Sai's latest report, "This is something Naruto is certainly going to want to know. Orochimaru and Minato working on such a plan could only spell disaster for this village. Aside from that, it might also be a ploy to draw Itachi and Mikoto back here, which might again draw Naruto back out. He has to remain away from Konoha for now. Sai?"

"Yes, Danzo-sama?"

"You have a new standing mission: to keep a close watch on Sasuke Uchiha. We must ensure that Orochimaru and Minato do not succeed in this insane endeavor of theirs. Just observe and report back to me for now, but should the need ever arise, you will eliminate the Uchiha to keep Orochimaru from possessing his body. I will leave the judgment of whether Sasuke is an asset or a liability to this village to you, and I trust your judgment in handling the matter."

"You honor me, Danzo-sama," Sai responded humbly.

"You are dismissed."

Sai used ink shunshin to leave Danzo's office. Danzo sat there, planning several moves ahead of that fool Hokage and that evil mad scientist. His first step would be to locate Mikoto and Itachi and inform Naruto of their whereabouts so that Naruto could contain them and keep them from doing anything rash.

Without further hesitation, Danzo summoned several of his best trackers and scouts, immediately sending them out to scour the nation, and the surrounding nations, in every direction in order to pinpoint the location of the two rogue Uchihas.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It was late – nearing ten o'clock at night. Naruto was finally on his way home after making all of the arrangements to have their supplies ready within the week for their departure into the Wastes. There were still some conversations he needed to have before the night was over, and he wasn't sure if he was looking forward to them or not. To distract himself, he kept going over the inventory in his head to make sure he didn't miss anything.

'_Let's see…O2 check. One month of food and water for five, check. Filtration and recycling systems, check. Additional refrigeration and freezing modules, check. Additional beds for the bedrooms, check. Additional bathroom and shower add-ons, check. Basic entertainment modules, check. I've also managed to procure five sets of basic personal gear for travel outside the shelter at night. I can't think of anything we might be missing, so we should be good to go.'_

Naruto brought his mind to the present once he stepped off of the lift that led to his personal quarters and proceeded to enter his private suite.

'_Now to find Kushina and have that little chat,'_ he thought to himself, a bit begrudgingly. He always found it a pain to resolve what he thought were petty, stupid disputes that didn't mean anything. But he could see that he had hurt her feelings, so he owed it to her to have this conversation and to make his position known.

Up the stairs, he heard Kushina's muffled voice ask, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Curious, Naruto quietly made his way upstairs. Able to tell that the voice came from his office, he stood outside the doorway and listened in.

Yuriko's voice responded, "I am performing one of my primary duties as a ROOT ANBU, Kushina-dono. In any new or unfamiliar environment, or when presented with new or unfamiliar information, technology, techniques, etc., we of ROOT gather as much intel as we can of the subject matter at hand to report back to Danzo-sama."

"That doesn't tell me why you're trying to pilfer Naruto's office when he's not around," Kushina retorted firmly. There were a few moments of silence in the room before Kushina spoke up once more, "His technology is not something that you are entitled to…" Naruto's eyes went wide in surprise at that, "…and you are a guest in his house, and in his city. Conduct yourself accordingly, and treat both his person and his property with respect! He's had enough problems with that from everyone else that he had brought into his home, and I'm not going to let these kinds of issues arise while I'm living under his provision! Don't try this again, or I will deal with you, personally!"

Naruto thought it was time to make his presence known. He opened the door and added to Kushina's sentiments, "Quite right, Yuriko-san. I would appreciate it if you would simply ask me about such things in future. I strongly dislike thieves…" his voice became darker, "…and this city has very strict laws concerning theft. Make sure that this incident does not happen again. Am I understood?"

Yuriko regarded her host as though studying him before responding, "I understand, Naruto-san. My apologies."

Yuriko then nodded to both of them as she excused herself from the room. Naruto closed the door behind her and walked over to his chair, gesturing Kushina to take the seat in front of his desk.

As Kushina sat down, Naruto began, "Is now a good time to talk about what happened earlier at the park?"

Kushina pressed her lips together in slight apprehension before nodding slowly.

"Well, before I get into that…" Naruto began, then leaned forward, resting his elbows and forearms on his desk, giving her a grateful smile, "…thank you…for watching out for my belongings in my absence. You're the first person to ever take such a stance in my home. Granted, there's nothing laying around that would be of any real use to her or Danzo, but all the same, I appreciate what you did for me…and you've earned a lot more of my trust by doing that."

Kushina smiled gratefully and nodded in acknowledgment before Naruto continued once more, "Now, about what happened in the park…"

"I'm sorry," Kushina interrupted him, her tone apologetic while she adopted a contrite expression, "I…overreacted to the situation. I let my feelings get the better of me, and I lost my temper. For that, I apologize. I also apologize for making you feel as though I was judging you again…"

Naruto held his hand up gently, prompting her to stop, before responding, "Saru-chan, I think I misread the situation. And you were right about what you said – I was being hypocritical, and I apologize for that. But I need to know something."

"Yes?"

"Why did you get so angry with me? I could see how I apparently hurt your feelings, but I somehow…get the feeling there's more to this?"

Kushina blushed slightly and nodded sheepishly, "When you told me that you have…sixty-three of those KOS-AGI's, or whatever it is you call them…and that they're all beautiful women like Satsuki, I…became insecure, and started feeling jealous. I jumped to the conclusion – wrongly, I admit…" she interrupted her own train of thought, bringing her hands up in front of her, palms out before lowering them again, "…that because they were all women, and that you didn't mention any males, that maybe you were using them for…sexual purposes as well. I just felt like…after all of the talks we've had, would I just be regarded as…another piece to what seemed to be your collection. I've already been lied to about being loved by one man…for so long…" her voice began to break as she admitted this, "…I couldn't handle being lied to by another man like that. Especially not by you, Kame-kun."

Kushina began to cry quietly as she shed tears and sniffled. Naruto closed his eyes and hung his head, _'Of course, now everything makes sense. She doesn't know me well enough to make that determination, and given the fact that the snake she was married to manipulated her for all of her married life and even before that. It was just an honest mistake, but…'_

"I can see how you'd react that way…" Naruto replied, "…Saru-hime, I don't engage in those kinds of relations with the KOS-AGI's. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about them, but it really was just an honest oversight on my part. I didn't think it was important. The reason they're all female is because female versions for some reason just seem to work better. I've tried creating male KOS-AGI's in the past, too, but for some reason, the integration never worked. That's the honest reason why they're all female."

Kushina smiled through her tears, once more in gratitude before Naruto continued, "But I want you to understand something: I'm not Minato Namikaze…" Kushina nodded, flinching slightly as she realized that, in a sense, she had likened him to the monster she was married to, "…I don't want to be anything like him. And I will never lie to you the way he has…" Naruto gave her a wry smile as he added, "…besides, given how brutally honest I've been with you so far, why would I start lying to you now?"

Kushina, while still crying, actually laughed at herself when asked that question, "Yeah, you're right…I do feel kind of silly when you put it that way."

"Kushina…" he used her full name, indicating that he wanted her to take what he was saying to heart, "…you'll always know where you stand with me. I won't ever lie to you, that's a promise. Now, that said, we still don't know when or if we'll ever take things in that direction. And even if we do, you already know that you won't be the only woman in my life. That doesn't mean I won't love you – I'll love you with every effort I have if that's where we go, but I'm not human anymore. A monogamous relationship is an impossibility for me, as my own demonic instincts will cause me to seek out multiple partners, so really, jealousy on your part is just counter-productive; it will only get in the way."

Kushina looked on in surprise at Naruto's admission as he continued, "Aside from that even…my drives and impulses are so strong that you won't be able to satisfy them all. You don't have the strength to in a human body. So, I'll go ahead and ask you here and now – are you sure that you want to pursue such a relationship with me?"

Kushina thought about it for a few moments before nodding firmly, "Yes. I've never met a man like you, and I know I never will again."

"Okay, then. Just to make sure that nothing in the future happens like this again – if something's bothering you, just come and talk to me about it. Petty squabbles like this are a waste of time and energy…" Kushina flinched once more at that, "…and I'd rather just talk it out reasonably than deal with all of these unnecessary feelings that wouldn't have arisen anyway if we'd just taken a step back and thought about the situation first. You'll probably find that it's just a misunderstanding, but again, and this goes back to what we'd talked about in Orochimaru's lab, even though this example isn't nearly so extreme as that: just give me the benefit of the doubt. Okay?"

Kushina nodded once more after a few seconds, "You're right…and I will do the best I can with that. But, when I find myself getting frustrated or losing my temper…or even if I end up getting jealous…will you please be patient with me? Feelings aren't rational, Kame-kun; much of the time, they don't make rational sense, but that doesn't mean that they don't have value. If you see me acting like I'm jealous, what I need from you is reassurance, not a lecture. I need to know that I'm valued and cared for, and I need to be reminded of that – most women do."

"**She's right, cutie. Even I need that from time to time, and I have the same impulses you do,"** Kyuubi added.

"Very well, Kitsu-chan, Saru-chan. I think I can do that; just remember that I'm not a mind-reader – I don't know what's going on in there…" Naruto pointed at Kushina's forehead, "…if you don't tell me. Fair enough?"

Kushina nodded with an understanding smile.

Naruto continued, "But backing up a bit, I do need to talk to you about that temper of yours…" his face became serious as his tone became stern, "…when you slugged Satsuki, you damaged a piece of her cybernetic brain, which caused some adjustments that I needed to make to her to become problematic – she'll be the KOS-AGI who'll be traveling with us to the Stronghold, and she'll be the one regulating our Shelter's systems while we're inside it."

"Sorry…" Kushina offered quietly, "…as I said, I let my temper get the better of me."

"Apologize to Satsuki, not to me," he said matter-of-factly, "Cybernetic damage aside, you publicly assaulted an officer of Furontia's military. I don't know how it is in Konoha, but that's a serious offense, here – one for which you AND Yuriko are going to have to be held accountable."

Kushina flinched yet again as Naruto continued, "As such, you're going to have to stand before a tribunal and account for yourself. Nobody is above the law, here; not even me. I'll do what I can for you, but in the end, it's not up to me to decide. You can probably expect this to happen within the next few days, thus further delaying our departure. I wanted to be out of here and heading west in three days, tops. Now, that won't happen."

Kushina hung her head in shame; she hadn't meant to cause this kind of trouble, but in Konoha, being the Hokage's wife in many ways did in fact put her above the law. Minato did keep her out of a lot of trouble, probably just to keep from dealing with the extra headaches of paperwork and such. But there were a few instances from time to time where she did assault fellow shinobi in Konoha while suffering no penalty due to losing her temper for whatever reason.

Thinking about it now, she was beginning to realize just how spoiled she herself had become. She felt embarrassed; what she had done was incredibly immature. Granted, she was right to be angry with Naruto, and Naruto admitted as much, but she had taken it way too far when she hit Satsuki and broke her nose…just to make a point.

Picking her head up, she looked Naruto in the eye and spoke up, resolutely and formally, "I will accept any penalty placed upon me without complaint. My behavior **was** shameful, and I was out of line in striking her. I will also make greater efforts to control my actions in the future. Please…forgive me for any embarrassment or trouble I have caused you, Lord Commander."

Naruto chuckled before responding, "There's no need for you to call me that. You're not one of my subordinates, after all. But…" Naruto stood up, prompting Kushina to do the same, "…for the sake of propriety, I accept your apology, and all is forgiven."

"So…" Kushina began shyly, "…are we…good now?"

"Yes, we are."

"Good," Kushina beamed with a smile, "That makes what I'm about to say easier. You, mister…" Kushina pointed at Naruto, "…are taking me out on a date. When you freed me from those ANBU who captured me, you said certain things to me, and I asked you to tell me those things again in a more appropriate setting. Well, there are lots of more appropriate settings within this city – we passed by several on our tour. So…you are taking me on a date and saying those things to me, and that's all there is to it," she finished with a firm nod, as though there was no other option.

Naruto raised his eyebrow as he asked with a smirk, "Is that a suggestion or an order?"

"Definitely an order."

"You know I only take orders from one man," Naruto retorted knowingly.

Kushina bent over the other side of Naruto's desk, with a teasing expression, retorting right back in a sultry tone, "And do I look like a **man** to you?"

She brought her hands up to her breasts and lifted them from the bottom as she continued, "Do these look like a man's equipment to you, hmm? Well…do they…kah…meh…koi?" she shifted the weight of her breasts in each hand as she said each syllable of his nickname, enticing a response from him.

Naruto chuckled while shaking his head and responded, "Hoisted on my own petard!"

Naruto leaped out of his seat exuberantly and mock-saluted Kushina, "Very well, my Saru-hime! I will make an exception this time and follow your orders!"

"Wonderful!" Kushina said as she sprang back into an upright position, "Let's go!"

Naruto face-faulted and asked in surprise, "What, right now?"

"And why not?" Kushina asked coyly, "We could go somewhere and get a late supper if you haven't eaten, yet. Have you?"

"Actually, no, but…if I'm taking you on a date, I want to do it right. I'd like a little time to prepare and make some arrangements. Besides, I don't even know what your preferences are."

"Hmm…well, my dating experience is rather limited, as you well know. I married very young – I had you when I was only seventeen. Minato and I were married pretty quickly, so we never really dated, though he took me out to dinner from time to time, so…that's about it," she finished sheepishly.

Naruto brought his hand up to his chin, looking up in an overtly-thoughtful pose, "Well, then…it is my responsibility to show you how a lady is properly courted," Naruto turned his gaze back to Kushina, "Don't worry about a thing – I'll take care of it all. All **you** need to do…" he pointed at her while he spoke, "…is follow along and allow me to get you where you need to be when you need to be there. And tomorrow night, I will show you the time of your life with a night on the town."

Kushina gushed with joy at Naruto's declaration, then ran around his desk and jumped into him, allowing him to catch her in his arms, holding her to himself as her chin rested in the crook of his neck while her feet hung several inches off the ground as she was held up by Naruto. Naruto couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at how happy and excited he'd made this woman, whose excited laughter was beginning to sound like music to his ears. After a few moments, he let her down and allowed her to regain her footing.

"Thank you so much!" she almost sang to him as she began to leave the room. In another moment of impulse/clarity, she turned around, ran back up to him, grabbed his face in both her hands…and planted a very firm kiss right on the mouth! Naruto's eyes widened, unable to respond in his surprise. After several seconds, she pulled away from his mouth with a smack and let go of his face, a mile-wide grin adorning her own.

"That was long overdue!" she exclaimed before skipping out of the room, somehow managing to hypnotically sway her hips while doing it.

Naruto just stood there, dumbfounded.

"**Well, it was, you know,"** Kyuubi told him with a giggle, bringing Naruto out of his daze.

Naruto shook his head to collect himself before giving an amused retort, "Just whose side are you on anyway?"

With that, he left the room to make himself something quick to eat before heading off to bed.

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A/N: Yes, finally I'm back to writing the chapters or at least some of it. Ncpfan helped a lot too so... say a good job to him too. Sorry it took so long too. ncpfan and I were sort of in a slump for quite awhile and we both just ignored our work.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Cha-cha-cha! Technological Maelstrom is updated... and hopefully past the blockade it's been under. Before we get to the story... Ncpfan did this entire chapter. I did a few tiny parts, but he's changed it around that even I can't find those parts. So all the credit and inevitable praise goes to him. NOT me, HIM.

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The following morning found Naruto's penthouse to be calmer and less eventful than the night prior. Naruto himself awoke to the smell of various frying meats and other delectable breakfast foods, causing his mouth to water and his stomach to rumble. Wanting to sate both his appetite and his curiosity about who was cooking, he pulled himself out of bed and dressed himself, glad for the chance to be able to wear something that wasn't standard Konoha ANBU issue. One dressed in his normal attire, he made his way downstairs to find Yuriko cooking breakfast for all of them.

"Good morning, Yuriko-chan," he greeted her cordially, causing her to freeze up ever so briefly.

"I thought we agreed not to address each other in such a familiar manner, Naruto-san," she responded coldly, causing Naruto to sigh.

"Aren't we past this by now?"

"Please explain."

"You really don't dislike me that much. I know it; you know it. So why are you still giving me the 'Ice Queen' act?"

Yuriko closed her eyes and let out a sigh of her own, "This isn't the time for such a conversation, and I'm not even comfortable with the idea of having this conversation with you in the first place."

"Why's that, exactly?" Naruto asked as he began to unleash some of his pheromones into the air.

"Because I…" she began, catching herself in a flash of irritation before continuing in her previous cold tone, though with a slight edge of frustration, "…listen, Naruto: please stop playing these games with me."

"Are you going to extend me the same courtesy, then…Yuriko-san?" Naruto asked, some of the lightness in his tone disappearing.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't insult my intelligence, and don't play dumb; it's very unbecoming of a woman such as you, Yuriko. You've been trying to get intel from me much the same as I've been trying to get intel from you. And the fact is that it bothers you that I seem to be in greater control of our little game of cat and mouse…" Yuriko blushed and pursed her lips together, glaring at Naruto in embarrassed anger, "…so why don't we just drop the pretenses, and really talk?"

Yuriko didn't respond for several seconds before she collected her thoughts and spoke her mind in as collected a manner as she could manage, "Kushina-dono and Kana-san are going to be awake at any moment. We won't have the time to 'really talk', as you put it, right now."

"Well, we're going to be here a while, so how about tomorrow night, I take you to dinner and then we enjoy a night out in the city? That will give us plenty of time to talk alone. Agreed?"

After a few more moments of silence, Yuriko nodded, "Agreed."

A few moments later, Kushina and Kana made their way downstairs, both of their mouths watering at the delectable aroma wafting from the breakfast that the tall honey-brown haired ROOT ANBU was in the middle of cooking. They found Naruto sitting at the dining table waiting patiently.

"Good morning, you two," Naruto greeted them.

"Good morning, Kame-kun/Naruto-kun," Kushina and Kana offered in response as they both made their way to two empty places at the table.

Yuriko quickly finished her cooking and prepared four plates for all of them before bringing ice water and hot tea to the table as well. The meal itself was a mostly quiet affair, the only real exception being when Kushina would ask about Yuriko's cooking methods. Naruto idly noted that Kana was eating an abnormally large amount of food for a girl her age and size. After breakfast, Naruto went into his office to do some work while Kushina and Kana went to freshen up. Yuriko used the time to clean the table and wash the dishes that she used.

By the time Naruto was done with some routine tasks, he went into Kana's room to let her know about what he wanted to do with her that day. When he entered her room, he saw that she looked tired, her face grimaced with what had to be agonizing pain. Her irritability was easy to see, but despite it all, she was maintaining a calm attitude. It was admirable in his opinion. As he glanced at her, he could have sworn he noticed a few things.

'Has she gotten taller since she joined us?' he thought to himself before dismissing the idea but keeping it in the back of his mind, 'Nah, it can't be. It has to be my imagination…'

"Hey, there, Kana-chan. Just wanted to let you know we'll be going to the hospital today to get you a physical and make sure that your body's doing okay withdrawing from the Drive. Is that alright?" questioned Naruto as he wouldn't take her if she didn't want to go.

"Sure, okay," replied Kana nodding, "I don't suppose there's anything they can give me for how crappy I feel, is there? The past couple of days, I've been starting to hurt all over."

Naruto frowned in confusion, "What exactly hurts?"

"Everything!" she groaned out, "From the bottoms of my feet to the top of my head and…just about everything inside me, too. Even my clothes feel uncomfortable."

Naruto's frown became more pronounced. He knew the withdrawal symptoms of Drive, and he knew that such physical sensitivity all over her body was not a symptom she should be feeling. Aches in the head, as well as wild mood swings and bouts of irrationality were expected, but Naruto himself had never suffered whole body aches.

Setting his confusion aside, he smiled and reassured the girl, "We can ask once we get there. And you don't need to worry: Yuriko and Kushina are coming as well."

"When are we going?"

"I'll be leaving right now so I can brief the staff on Drive and its side-effects."

"Wouldn't Yuriko-san do that when we got there?"

"Unlikely," answered Naruto calmly, "She probably understands the basics behind what it does, what its side-effects are, and things like that. Anyone with medical training could easily learn those things, but I really doubt that she knows it on a personal level, nor does she know all of its ins and outs. Orochimaru wouldn't tell anyone everything about anything he makes, nor would he have it written down; he likes having aces up his sleeve. I, on the other hand, know as much as he does about how it works, how it takes over, and most importantly, how to remove it."

"And?" questioned Kana, feeling that was the next word coming.

Naruto rolled his eyes, and replied, "And I won't have a medical ninja briefing my medical personnel on a dangerous chemical like Drive when she's barely scratched the surface of its secrets, regardless of how great a doctor she might be – that, and none of the doctors will listen to her."

He frowned before looking at her, trying to think of the right words, "This place is not exactly ninja-friendly. Yuriko, Kushina and you are the first ninja to enter the city…ever. While the doctors might show her some respect, they're going to take anything she says with a silo of salt."

"So, basically…they wouldn't trust anything she says," questioned Kana, starting to understand.

"Exactly," said Naruto nodding, "I can vouch for her, but it won't count for much. Nobody gets any special treatment in this city that they haven't earned, though they would be far more polite to her than usual. So to save time and your patience, I'll be going ahead or if you'd like you can come along with me now and watch. We can always wait for Kushina to come before giving you your check-up."

"Hai…aniki," said the young girl before they stood up and headed for the door.

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Kana had just been given a clean bill of health by a kind doctor and two nurses. Apparently, her body was withdrawing from Drive rather well, and it was happening in her body faster than it had happened in Naruto's own, according to the briefing Naruto gave them. Where it had taken Naruto several months to completely withdraw from Drive while still within Konoha's walls, the medical staff predicted that Kana would likely be free of it within about three weeks. They gave her a thirty-day prescription for a painkiller that was gentle on the body so that her aches could be soothed to a degree, as they had determined that the aches throughout her body didn't have anything to do with Drive withdrawal, except for the migraines she was suffering.

Kana wondered if it had something to do with the fact that Naruto's body and mind had both started rejecting the drug, or if it was because they were weaning her off of it, where her father and Orochimaru just stopped giving Naruto any more injections, making him withdraw cold turkey. She also wondered if Kyuubi had anything to do with easing his adjustment to "drying out". There could have been many other reasons, but those were the only conclusions she could draw with the information she hand on hand.

As she speculated over possible causes for her discomfort, she noted that she was not only thinking more clearly, but she was even surprising herself with the degree of intelligence she was exerting with her current line of thought. What could this mean? Did the drug hinder her intelligence that much? No, that wasn't it – if it was the drug, then she would have shown herself to be this smart before she'd started receiving the injections, and looking back, there was no noticeable lapse in intellect for her…she now realized that she was smart enough to be embarrassed about that as a blush crossed her cheeks.

She was broken from her thoughts when she heard a loud crash about twenty yards down the hallway. She impulsively hid behind the nurse she had exited her examination room with as she saw the cause of the disturbance: an infuriated Naruto had thrown one of the doctors he had been speaking to down the hall, the wall at the end of the hallway being the only thing that stopped the doctor's continued trajectory.

"I will not allow any samples of this poison to be taken, stored or created within Furontia's walls!" stated Naruto seriously and loudly to the man who could probably barely hear him as he was losing the battle with unconsciousness before adding in a low, cold tone, "And you are fired! Patients in the hospital are not lab rats for experimentation and Drive is something that shouldn't even exist, let alone be used on someone."

After seeing the condition the just-fired doctor was in, Kana just felt happy that she wasn't the one on the receiving end of his blows this time – though she wasn't sympathetic to the man in the least, as the doctor did have it coming. She had heard bits and pieces of the conversation, after all. The man wanted to store some Drive samples, synthesize more of it, and test it – on patients under his care! Once those words were spoken…well, everyone just saw the result, and she figured everyone who had the same thoughts as the man either didn't know about Drive, or simply didn't care about its side effects and the danger it posed.

Kana was also a little surprised but happy that Naruto cared, even about people he didn't know – she had gotten the distinct impression that he didn't like people much, if at all, but certain persons were the exception to that general rule.

_'Everything Tou-sama said wasn't true…'_ she thought as she watched her brother talking to another doctor,_ '…Naru-kun…' _she added mentally, unable to think of any words to continue her thoughts.

"Could you refrain from firing my staff, Lord Commander?" said an elderly man in an overly-stiff manner as he walked from the stairway toward them.

"Quiet down, old man," replied Naruto, looking over at him, "He's lucky I don't have him executed. I will not, under any circumstances, allow human experimentation in my city," he added before walking over to Kana and her nurse.

"Let's go find our lost Saru, Kana-chan," he offered, his voice and demeanor having calmed almost instantly, "We're done with everything for the moment, and I really don't feel like being in the presence of that…man…any longer."

"Errm…okay," Kana responded nervously, following behind him silently as he walked off.

As they walked down a flight of stairs, she asked with apprehensive concern, "Are…are you okay?"

"Yes and no," he replied with a resigned sigh, "It bothers me that a resident of my city wants to play around with Drive; that and I hate the Director - the old man you saw…" he stopped for a moment and turned to the girl, "…but please don't think I'll point my anger towards you, okay?"

"Okay. But why do you not like that Director guy? He didn't seem to me like he was doing anything wrong," stated Kana in confusion. Granted, the old man may have told Naruto to not fire his workers, but that wasn't an odd request to her. They were his staff, right?

Naruto shrugged and said, "There's a good bit more to the story than you know, Kana-chan…I don't just dislike that man; I hate him, and I can't do anything to expel him from Furontia right now, either. But that's politics for you."

He looked over at her and, upon noticing her confused and curious expression, decided to elaborate, "The old fart runs the hospital, but he only got that position because one of General Mifune's advisors convinced him that having him here would be a good idea since Furontia is more likely to come into contact with ninja than the Three Wolves. While not a ninja himself, the man knows a good bit of medical ninjutsu – though how he learned it is certainly a point of interest to me…" he mused as he started trailing off.

Bringing himself back to the present, he continued, "Regardless though, his actual job is to spy on myself, Kurokage and the mayor."

"Oh…" muttered Kana, understanding now, "So in other words, if something goes wrong, he tells the person he works for about it, and attempts to put the three of you in some sort of trouble?" she questioned wondering if she got it right.

Naruto nodded, though his expression was grim, "Yes," he replied simply, "That's just a general dislike. The reason I hate him personally is because he delayed the burial of a very close friend of mine for almost a year, with no reason."

"Seems like you want to beat the crap out of him," stated Kana, seeing the blond's hands form into fists.

"I want to kill him," Naruto replied with cold angry resolve. Kana was stunned: that was the first time she ever heard him say that he wanted to kill anyone! Even when he had every reason to hate her, he didn't want to kill her, and he had told her as much! Just what kind of man was he that he would cause Naruto to react so strongly?

"Unfortunately," Naruto continued, "Retaining cadavers is not a crime…at least not for him, given his position. So, I can't really do anything about that, though if he so much as withholds a bottle of water from anyone, I have the authority to have him thrown out of the city. So far we've been playing a very long waiting game with each other."

"How long?" asked Kana curiously. It was a decent question in her opinion, since Naruto looked like he wanted to punch the closest thing to him, so it had to have been an extremely long time since it looked like he was holding in a lot of anger.

"Three years, now," answered Naruto, before taking a deep breath and relaxing, "However, I won't kill him without a valid reason. She wouldn't want me to do it without one, but…" he grinned sadistically, "…I do get to make his life absolutely miserable, so I guess it evens out."

"So…the noble Lord Commander of Furontia isn't above revenge, after all," said Kana, giggling a little. She did find it funny since so far all she had seen was him being a completely noble and good man with no faults, even though he wasn't necessarily a nice guy much of the time. It was nice to find out that there were other things about him too.

Naruto chuckled and replied, "Of course not! I'm not above getting revenge on people. If I was, I'd get rather bored very quickly!" he finished with a laugh.

"Demons love to trick people and tell half-truths, Kana," stated Kyu, adding her insight to the conversation, "Demons are also known for being able to hold grudges that last for centuries. Anyone who knows anything about demons knows that we are not to be trifled with…especially not by humans," she added before she started giggling, giving Kana the creeps.

Naruto cut the connection while the kitsune giggled herself into…whatever, "I'd say ignore her, but she has a point. If anything, certain human qualities are multiplied in a demon's mental and emotional template. Demonic grudges are much more intense than human ones are, and so are demonic bloodlust and sexual urges."

Kana's eyebrows shot into her hairline as she heard the last one. Looking around, she noticed that they had made it out of the hospital. They were about halfway back to the house when Naruto spotted Kushina and Yuriko, who were window shopping.

"There's our Saru-chan!" he exclaimed with exuberant bemusement, causing said Saru and her companion to turn their attention his way.

"Kame-kun!" Kushina greeted him happily as he approached. She pranced towards him in a rather girlish fashion with her arms out, causing Naruto to raise a confused eyebrow and Kana to raise two surprised eyebrows. When she reached Naruto, she hugged him, nuzzling into him. Naruto noticed that she had a very excited gleam in her eyes that matched her almost face-splitting smile. He went with it and wrapped his own arms around the woman.

"Not that I mind, but why are you so excited to see me?"

"Oh, you won't believe what I found! I have found the perfect outfit for our date tonight!"

"Date?!" Kana bellowed out in shock, "What do you mean,_ 'date'_?! When did this happen?!"

"Oh, it happened late last night when you were already in bed, sweetie," Kushina answered with a knowing smirk, "You don't object to my having a romantic interlude with my Kame-kun, do you?"

Kana began to answer before Kushina immediately piped in and cut her off, "Of course, you don't. So, Kame-koi…"

"Koi?!" Kana bellowed out once more.

"Yes, Kana-chan, 'Koi'…" Kushina answered patiently before turning her attention back to Naruto, "…Oh, and I'm going on the assumption that tonight's plans are for fine dining…or should I dress more casually?"

"Fine dining is what's on tonight's agenda, Saru-hime," Naruto answered with a smile, "Doll yourself up as much as you like. Kana-chan…" he turned to the girl in question, "…if you like, you can go shopping with Kushina and Yuriko."

"Well…" she began to respond, but paused as a blush crossed her cheeks, "…I wouldn't mind maybe having some…'just you and me' time…if that's alright?"

"So you want a date with him, too? Huh, Kana-chan?" Kushina teased with a playful smirk. Kana's blush grew as she started poking her fingers together and nodding shyly.

Kushina giggled and told her with a smile, "Go right ahead, sweetie…" she turned to Naruto, "…what time do I need to be ready by?"

"Six thirty," Naruto answered, "I'll have Kana-chan home by four so that I can have sufficient time to clean myself up as well."

"See you then," Kushina sang out before kissing Naruto's cheek and parting ways with him to return to shopping with Yuriko.

"So," Naruto turned back to Kana after the others left, "Lunch?"

Kana smiled and gave a firm nod before taking his hand in both of hers and pulling him along, walking backwards while facing him so she could talk to him as they walked. Naruto guided her to a barbecue pit that he knew of so that they could eat. Once they were seated and their orders were taken, Kana started asking about what other things there were to do within Furontia. Naruto informed her of some different places that many of the city's youth frequented, such as some parks, or gaming facilities, restaurants that teenagers liked more than others, even some dance clubs that catered to teenagers and minors.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the stars that seemed to radiate from Kana's eyes. He then reminded himself that Kana had led a rather sheltered life, and as the Hokage's daughter, she wasn't allowed or particularly encouraged to have friends. Namikaze would make sure she was trained to the bone every single day, and since the girl had joined his little entourage, he had seen that, much like him, she didn't exactly know what it felt like to just be a kid. He found himself surprisingly grateful that, unlike him, it wasn't too late for her. They would be in the city for at least a week if not longer, and he would be able to maybe set a few activities up for her where she might get a chance to spend some time with kids her age.

Once they had finished their meal, once more with Naruto noting the disproportionate size of Kana's appetite, Kana had gone from dragging Naruto along to jumping on his back and making him tote her around piggy-back style. Kana was laughing it up while Naruto would just roll his eyes and smirk in amusement. His amusement became laced with curiosity when her hands started to spread themselves across his chest, as she would rub his muscles while holding herself up. Naruto decided to tease back as he moved his hands from her thighs to her seat, holding her up by her behind while subtly kneading her cheeks.

"Being a little direct, there, arentcha?" Kana asked teasingly.

"Well, you started it, you know," he fired back, teasing her just as much.

"True enough," she admitted plainly.

Naruto then noticed something he hadn't noticed before: two burgeoning female mounds that were pressing themselves into his back; mounds that he knew for a fact weren't there before. There were some other things that he started to notice as he reflected back on the time since Kana had joined them – things that he thought were just his imagination. There was the fact that she was actually a little taller than she used to be, and even her voice seemed to be maturing somewhat. The cheeks his hands were on were also a little fuller than he thought they would be – they weren't from a child's posterior.

"Kana-chan, how tall are you?" he asked curiously.

"Funny you ask me that…" she began, "…because your hospital staff measured me at five-foot-two, when just last month, I was measured at four-foot-nine."

"Five inches in a few weeks? At your age?" he mused aloud, surprised at hearing such an answer. He suddenly remembered how Kana complained about her clothes feeling uncomfortable, and a theory began to form in his mind.

He turned his head slightly towards Kana, "You said that your clothes were uncomfortable. How so?"

"Well, everything feels…tighter, I guess? I thought it was because of the withdrawal."

Naruto shook his head, "No, I don't think that's it. Kana, nine days ago, you were as flat as a board, and now…judging by what's pressing into my back, you're…well, you're not flat anymore."

Kana frowned in surprised confusion before leaning back a little bit and looking down. Sure enough, there they were, just starting to come in! How in the world had she missed that?

"Wow! I didn't even notice! So these aches…what, are they growing pains or something?"

"That's my theory. I'm willing to bet that because Drive affects the brain, it probably kept your pituitary gland from signaling your body to start developing and retarded your growth. Now that we're getting you off of it, it seems like your body's starting to catch itself back up…" with a laugh, he added, "…it certainly explains the sudden increase in your appetite."

With a sudden thought, he asked her, "Just how long have you noticed that your clothes been uncomfortable?"

"Just the last few days. Why?"

"Hmm…" Naruto hummed in thought before answering, "…I'll bet that your sudden growth hasn't been over the past few weeks, but more likely it's been since we've been pulling you off of Drive. So I think the reason your body hurts so much is because is because you've grown five inches in the last nine days, not the past several weeks."

"The last nine days? Is that even possible?"

"Normally, no, it wouldn't be. But…as a bearer of the Uzumaki bloodline at its base level, your body can heal and regenerate itself enough to make such growth survivable."

"So I've still got it? The bloodline, I mean?"

"For now, yes. You'll be tested by the bloodline itself to see if you're worthy of keeping it. That time will probably come soon."

Kana asked nervously, "What do I need to know in order to pass the test?"

"Don't know. It varies from person to person. But…" Naruto turned around and offered her a smile, "…based on what I've seen since we arrived here, I'm sure you'll pass the test."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't lie to you, Kana-chan. If I believed you were in danger of failing the test, I'd warn you."

"Thank you," Kana offered quietly, grateful that Naruto believed in her.

They continued walking along in the same manner. Kana looked around, while Naruto pointed out some of the buildings to her and told her what they were. The more Kana learned about this city, the more she marveled at it. Knowing that it was only a few years old, and that in many ways, it was still being built, she found herself pondering in greater wonder at how the city could have been erected so quickly!

"So…" Kana began to ask, "…where did all the citizens of this city come from? I mean, it's only a few years old, right? But there are so many people, here."

"Very good question, Kana-chan," Naruto replied, impressed at her astute observation, "Most of the citizens here are former inhabitants of the Wastes themselves, who've all pledged loyalty and fealty to General Mifune. The rest are citizens of Tetsu no Kuni or just various specialized workers from here and there that have made their way here for the chance to either build a better world or just a better life for themselves and their loved ones."

"You mean that people used to live out in the Wastes?"

"Oh, yes! How do you think I learned to traverse them? I had to learn from someone, after all."

Kana nodded in satisfaction as the answer made perfect sense. She also found herself becoming more fascinated with this city and its people as they walked along, with Naruto continuing to point out places of interest or importance, and also showing her how to distinguish between the different peoples and cultures that constituted the population of the city as a whole. Naruto had had it in mind to take the girl to a few places that a child of her age would consider to be fun, but reconsidered, as she was thoroughly enjoying the impromptu history and geography lesson Naruto was giving to her.

Shrugging to himself, he continued carrying her around the city and educating her on its inner workings.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Meanwhile, Kushina and Yuriko continued to shop. Thankfully, they were able to give one of the attendants assigned to them by Naruto's people a list of the basic toiletries and cosmetics that they needed, as well as their preference of brands. Kushina also composed a list for Kana's needs as well. With those things promised to be delivered in a timely manner to them, Kushina and Yuriko were free to shop for clothes, shoes, and other things that women generally considered more fun to buy.

By the time two-thirty rolled around, they had bought the outfits that they would be wearing for their respective dates with their host, with Yuriko buying enough casual clothing and undergarments to allow herself a modest wardrobe. She had also bought herself some athletic wear in the fashions that Furontia considered trendy in the event that she might find some time to train during her stay within this city. The beautiful ROOT medic made a mental note to ask Naruto about available training facilities within Furontia's walls.

Once their clothes shopping was complete, the two of them made their way to a salon where Kushina was currently getting her hair styled while Yuriko was receiving a manicure and pedicure while getting her hair shampooed and treated. Once they were done and they were sitting under the lamps waiting for their hair to dry, Kushina decided to express her curiosity.

"So Yuriko-chan," Kushina began, "What is it that attracts you to our Naru-kun, hmm?"

Yuriko turned to Kushina with wide eyes, "I'm not sure what you mean, Kushina-dono."

"Oh, stop with the '-dono' stuff; I left my husband, and I don't want to be regarded as the Hokage's wife any more. 'Kushina-san' or 'Kushina-chan' are just fine, depending on what you're more comfortable with."

"Alright, then…Kushina…-chan," Yuriko slowly spoke out, trying to see how the more familiar suffix felt as it rolled off her tongue.

With a ghost of a smile, Yuriko commented, "Yes…I believe that will do…Kushina-chan."

"Good!" Kushina exclaimed, "So then…about my question…?"

"Again, Kushina-do…-chan, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yuriko-chan, come on, level with me," Kushina told her plainly, "It's just us girls, here. I'm sure being in ROOT, you might not know this, but there's an unspoken rule that we girls all adhere to: 'Girl talk stays with the girls'. None of this is going to get back to Naru-kun, I assure you. Now, I can plainly see that you're quite taken with our Kame-kun, and to be honest, I think he can see that, too. So…tell me what it is that attracts you."

Yuriko sighed, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before answering, "Hmm…I'm unsure as to why I'm even telling you this, but as ROOT, you know that we undergo certain types of physical, mental and emotional conditioning that normal shinobi do not. The reason for this is because we are always on the job, and never off of it. Even now, I am on the job serving as a liaison between Danzo-sama and Naruto-san.

"However, I will tell you that Danzo-sama never would have sent me to Naruto-san if he was in any way aware of the feelings I've been starting to develop. I've had to work very hard to hide them ever since I had returned to home base from the safehouse after I let the two of you out. Being here now, I find myself…frightened…that I may never be able to return home, or that when I do, Danzo-sama will consider me a compromised asset and decide to have me disposed of."

Kushina frowned as she listened to Yuriko. Yuriko continued, "As far as how this ties in to your question of what attracts me to Naruto-san…I really don't know how to answer that. I think that a part of me likes feeling…well, anything at all, and for some reason, it's as if I'm free to experience feelings when I'm in Naruto's presence. I also find his consideration for me personally to be quite…comforting. He regards me as my own person, and I was never regarded that way in Konoha precisely because I am ROOT. But what makes him unique…at least to me…is that he can…" she frowned in concentration, as if struggling to find the right words to express her thoughts, "…bring my own person out to the fore? Does that make sense?"

Kushina smiled knowingly and nodded, "Yes. It makes perfect sense. He does have a way of keeping people honest, doesn't he?"

"Unnervingly so," Yuriko admitted, but continued once again with a ghost of a smile, "but then…it's also so…refreshing…to be able to be that honest with myself and others. I sometimes feel as if I'm not a good fit for the ROOT program because I've never been as comfortable lying or shutting my emotions off as my comrades. Granted, my emotions have certainly been…stunted…but at the same time, the fact that I'm aware of that means that they haven't been killed completely the way that they have been in what Danzo-sama called 'perfect tools' – something I never wanted to be."

Kushina was beginning to notice that Yuriko's tone wasn't as flat as it was when they had first met. She was allowing herself to feel more, even if she herself wasn't consciously aware of it. It certainly seemed that Naruto had good instincts about people – she could see that bringing Yuriko to his side wouldn't be that difficult for Naruto.

"And you, Kushina-chan?" Yuriko asked, once more with a ghost of a smile, "What is it about Naruto that attracts you?"

Kushina smiled in response, "I'm surprised you're not expressing disgust at my feelings towards him."

"Why would I be disgusted?"

"Well, he is my son, after all, and…a mother really shouldn't be attracted to her son like that."

"Kushina-chan, I am a doctor. Not only have I studied the human anatomy so that I can apply medicine to it, I've also studied the mind and psyche so that I can treat those as well. It's nigh impossible for you and Naruto to be able to see each other as mother and son at this stage in your lives, as the mother/son bond must be forged during the formative years of a child's life. You and he have been isolated from each other until only a few short weeks ago, and it is quite common for such an attraction to form between close relatives in a situation such as yours."

Yuriko smirked before continuing, "Besides, I can also see the tell-tale signs with you just like you can with me. So then – as to my question?"

Kushina sighed and smiled wistfully, "He set me free – free from a life of lies, guilt and regret, free from misery and unhappiness. He set me free from Konoha. On top of that, he makes me feel free – I guess a better way of putting it is he makes me feel alive! He's always honest; I never have to guess where I stand with him. And he's far and away the kindest, most considerate man I think I've ever met. I can tell he doesn't like people, really, but despite that, he's as kind as possible to just about everyone he meets."

Kushina turned to Yuriko and looked her dead in the eye, "I thought that I was happy with my life in Konoha before Naruto left, but I can honestly that I didn't even know what happiness was until I started getting to really know Naruto. But now…" her smile widened, "…now, I'm truly happy, and it's because of Naruto. Just in the time we've spent together, he's become such a…a necessary piece of me that I couldn't imagine my life without him in it now."

Yuriko regarded Kushina thoughtfully, "It sounds as if you're in love with him."

Kushina's smile grew wider still as she nodded, "I am. And I want nothing more than to make him happy and make his life better. What about you?"

"I can only say that I don't have the physical symptoms of a person in love, but I do find myself…desiring to become closer to him – to explore certain possibilities and scenarios with him."

"Well, it sounds like you're at the very least infatuated with him."

"I suppose that is the best way to describe it."

Kushina hummed in thought before adding, "Well, if I know Naruto, and I'm getting to know him pretty well, it likely won't be long before you find yourself in love with him, too."

Yuriko looked down upon hearing this. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up, "I'm afraid of what it will mean for me should that happen."

"Why?"

Yuriko answered quietly, "Because any further contamination that I am exposed to will further diminish my usefulness to Danzo-sama."

Yuriko gasped upon feeling a hand atop her own. She snapped her wide-eyed gaze in Kushina's direction to see a warm, understanding smile on her face.

Kushina reassured her, "Emotional experience is not contamination, Yuriko-chan. We are born with emotions – we're meant to experience them. And despite what Danzo preaches, emotions have great value to a shinobi. Our emotions are were our gut instincts come from; it's where we get our danger sense – you know, that split-second feeling that tells you that you need to dodge or pull your weapon out and block despite the fact that you see no reason to?"

Yuriko narrowed her eyes in thought as she listened to Kushina's words before answering, "Oddly enough, I don't think I would have even considered your words before having met you and Naruto. I've always been taught that emotion is a weakness that allows human beings to be easily manipulated, and I've even been taught how to do exactly that while keeping my own cool under fire. I've always…looked down upon myself for my own inability to kill off my emotions completely, but I believe I can even see the value they've had in my own experience: I've used my compassion to do heal others more delicately and more completely – something I could not have done without it."

"You see?" Kushina chirped, "Most things come with both benefits and drawbacks – emotion is one of them, lack of emotion is another. Regardless of that, though, even if Danzo does see you as 'contaminated', it's not as if you have no place to go."

Yuriko frowned at Kushina in confusion.

Kushina answered the unasked question, "Naruto is taking you to his home – if he's willing to do that, it means he's willing to go so far as to offer you a permanent place in his home if you want it."

Yuriko's confused frown morphed into a thoughtful one as she slowly started looking downward, giving serious consideration to the possibility just presented to her.

Kushina patted Yuriko's hand before withdrawing hers, "All I'm saying is – give emotions a real chance. Let yourself feel the infatuation you've developed for Naruto. Let it bloom into whatever it might become. Don't fight it, just let yourself experience it."

"I…" Yuriko hesitated for a brief moment, "…I'll try."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It was six-thirty. Naruto had brought Kana home precisely at four o'clock, and she was now in bed resting, sedated by Yuriko so as to accelerate her withdrawal recovery. Yuriko was currently making use of Furontia's recreational district, particularly the training facilities that were housed there. He was currently waiting for Kushina in his foyer, wearing a navy blue suit with a white shirt and a metallic cherry-red necktie, tied in a perfect double-Windsor knot. His hair was pulled back into a loose pony-tail that began at the base of his neck. He looked the part of the consummate statesman.

_'You know, it's funny…but I think this is the first time I've ever planned a formal date,'_ he told Kyuubi.

"It is, isn't it, Cutie? You've planned formal events, and you've taken a lady here and there to a spontaneous dinner, but you've never done fine dining on a date…I hope you remember your table manners…hehehe…"

_'Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Kitsu-chan. Just because I haven't seen cause or reason to use them in a while doesn't mean I've forgotten them.'_

"You do know it's my job to remind you of things like this!" she retorted with mock indignation, "I'm your wife, after all!"

Naruto's eyebrows shot up at this,_ 'Wife? You've always hated that word!'_

"Meh, it's grown on me," the kitsune responded nonchalantly, at which Naruto could almost hear her shrug, "And if you're going to have other wives, they need to understand that I was here first, right?"

Naruto chuckled aloud while he mentally responded, _'Of course, my beautiful vixen. You are, and always have been my first love.'_

He felt a warm sensation within him as Kyuubi smiled and blushed. Their conversation was interrupted by Kushina's sudden appearance.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Kushina descend the stairs with a grace he'd never before seen in the woman! Dressed in a white halter-top dinner dress that hugged her breasts and waist but flared out at her hips with the skirt ending at mid-thigh, she was stunning. Her legs were adorned in white silk stockings and white high-heels, and she was elegantly made up with a light rouge blush, crimson lip gloss and brown eye shadow that faded perfectly into her cream-colored complexion. Naruto was not an easy man to surprise, and he was certainly no stranger to female beauty, but the sight of the radiant redhead nearly took his breath away!

As he took a few moments to drink in the vision of sheer beauty that approached him, his attention was brought to her bust. The dress showed considerable cleavage despite separating her breasts, while also allowing the sides of her breasts to spill out of the halter-top just slightly. While not as generously-endowed as Yuriko, Kushina's bust was nothing to scoff at, being at least a solid D-cup, and while hiding her breasts admirably, the dress showed more than enough to entrance and entice any man who might happen to gaze upon her.

Kushina, noting his reaction, smiled and blushed, her cheeks turning redder even through the rouge tint that was already decorating her face.

As she stopped in front of him, she asked, "Should I take your reaction to mean that I chose my outfit well?"

"Yes, you should…" he answered honestly with a smile of his own, "…because you did. Even as beautiful as you are, I didn't imagine that I'd ever see you look so…becoming."

"You look quite dashing, yourself, right now," Kushina complimented him, "I've never seen any man look so good. I can tell you Minato never did."

Naruto gave her a knowing smile as he answered, "Speaking of which…"

He then took her by the hand and led her to the dining room table where he laid out the divorce decree that he'd written for her the previous day. He showed her the document, to which she gave him an overjoyed smile. She quickly signed her name to it, and then flung himself into him, wrapping her arms around his neck while resting her chin against the crook of his neck. Naruto simple smiled calmly and wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Thank you," she said to him just above a whisper, "I'm finally free from him, now – in every way. Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome," Naruto told her kindly, "I'll have it expressed to the Fire Daimyo first thing tomorrow morning. But the seal and my signature make it official and legally binding, so you're now officially divorced from him."

She pulled back and looked him in the eye, becoming misty-eyed before she said to him once more, "Thank you…for everything you've done for me up to now."

"You're welcome," he replied quietly.

A moment later, he pulled back and offered her his arm, "So, shall we be off? Our dinner reservation is fifteen minutes from now."

She smiled at him and took the arm offered in both of hers, allowing him to lead her out towards the lift. Once they got on, he entered level six as the destination. After he confirmed the level, the lift began to descend. While they were going down, Kushina took in the view of the city at twilight. She noticed that lights were starting to come on everywhere as the sun retreated, illuminating the city and signaling the beginning of Furontia's nightlife. About two minutes later, they stopped at level six and got off the lifting platform.

As he was leading her through the walkways high above the ground, all of the passersby greeted their Lord Commander warmly, with Naruto greeting them all with nods and smiles. Many of them raised bemused eyebrows and gave mischievous smiles as they saw how the redheaded beauty that was Kushina was holding his arm, and neither Naruto nor Kushina did anything to discourage any assumptions they might make.

As they continued walking along, Kushina commented, "You know, I think this is the first time I've ever seen you truly…cheerful."

"Well, it's been a very good day, all in all," Naruto explained, "Kana and I got to spend some time getting to know each other and having some fun, you and Yuriko are both enjoying yourselves here, and even aside from that, I'm in a place where I don't have to have my guard up all the time. But don't worry…" he added playfully, "…I'll be back to my old cynical self soon enough."

"Great…I can't wait," Kushina retorted facetiously before she smiled sadly yet thankfully, "I'm glad that you…have a safe haven life this, Kame-koi. It really makes me happy to see you this happy…and this at peace."

Naruto, knowing what she meant, smiled understandingly, "Thank you."

"You know…" she began as she looked downward slightly in reflection, "…when Yuriko and I were talking about how we both felt about you today, I told her that my heart's desire is to make you happy, and to make your life better…in any way that I can. I truly meant that, and I mean it now."

Naruto glanced down at her while she brought her gaze back up to meet his own.

She continued, "I love you, my wonderful Naru-koi. I love you with all my heart and soul. And making you happy is all that matters to me."

"Well, err…" Naruto began to glance downwards, "…I have to admit I didn't expect this. I…I'm starting to come around, Saru-hime. It…might take me a bit longer than you'd like…but can you wait for me?"

Her smile became a knowing one, "I can do that. I understand that you're the one who's had to live with the consequences of what I did back then, and even though we're past that as far as our…current relationship goes, I know that…there's lingering hurt and anger that'll take a while to die down. I can be as patient as you need me to be, as long as we can work through it together."

Naruto smiled and returned his gaze back to her, "I've come to trust you enough to be able to do that. I appreciate your understanding."

Kushina smiled warmly back at him and kissed him on his cheek, not even breaking stride as Naruto continued to lead them to their destination. It was only a few minutes later that they had arrived at a restaurant called "The Governor's Inn".

"The Governor's Inn?" Kushina asked curiously, "Does the name of this place hold any kind of significance?"

"Well, before I was the Lord Commander, they wanted to call me the Governor. I didn't like that title as much, but they'd already built this establishment and named it, so rather than have them rename it, I told them I liked the name just fine and that they should keep it. This restaurant is used for dining with dignitaries of state or personal guests of either myself, the mayor or Captain Kurokage. Anyone else who wishes to dine here can do so, but it charges a hefty bill, and their reservations can be removed in favor of one of us, or in the case of needing the place to host an event or a banquet."

"Well, thank you for taking me here. I feel honored," Kushina told him playfully.

"I'm glad you do. Just wait until you eat the food, though."

"Looking forward to it."

As they walked in, Kushina noticed a man with the same dark, swarthy complexion and the same jet-black eyes which she noticed many of the same people within the city had, though this was the first time she noted it as a different trait. This man had long jet black hair that looked very thick and coarse, tied back into a ponytail that was similar to Naruto's own at the moment. He was standing at the entrance, as though waiting for someone. Her guess was confirmed correct when he introduced himself.

"Ahh, Lord Commander Uzumaki, and Lady Kushina," he greeted them as they walked in, "Truly a pleasure to see the both of you. I am Kialuk, the maitre d' of this establishment, and your personal waiter for the evening."

"Thank you, Kialuk. It's good to see you, again," Naruto greeted the man pleasantly, indicating that he knew the man personally.

Kooluk gave a disarmed smile in response, "You too, Naruto. And if you'll both permit me," he turned his attention to Kushina, "Naruto does have exquisite taste in women to have a beauty such as yourself on his arm."

Naruto retorted with a chuckle, "Okay, Kialuk, that's enough of the schmoozing."

"Sure thing," he replied with a chuckle of his own, "If you'd both please follow me…"

Naruto and Kushina followed their host to a lifting platform within the premises, though he called it an "elevator". Once they were on, he pushed a simple button that said "4", causing the elevator to rise until it stopped on the fourth floor – which was actually the roof. There was one table for two with a red tablecloth, lit with candles in golden candlesticks, two smaller ones on the table, and six larger ones in stands evenly spaced several feet out from the table. Also on the table were a large pitcher of water and a bottle of fine honey sake that was meant to be drank as a wine if the wine glasses at each of their places was any indication.

Once they were seated, Kialuk informed them of what their meal would consist of that night: Borghin Pasta with a creamy tomato and cheese sauce, topped with various fresh fish, shrimp and scallops, a side entree of steamed and prepared wasteroots, and for dessert, a special melon cake. When asked what Borghin pasta was by Kushina, Kialuk explained that in the wastes, all of the plantlife grew underground as roots – this included the grain-like root Borghin that could be harvested and milled in a manner similar to wheat. He also informed her that "wasteroots" were various other forms of vegetation that grew under the hard surface of the ground, again as roots, but with all of the nutritional content of fresh-grown vegetables. Even the special melon cake was derived from one of these roots. This one in particular was sweet to the taste, resembling the shape and flavor of a melon.

After his explanation, Kialuk served them each a glass of sake and water before leaving to check on their meal.

Kushina then turned to Naruto and asked curiously, "I've noticed people around town like Kialuk that have certain physical traits I've never seen before, like that skin complexion, his eye color, the texture of his hair – where does he hail from?"

"Kialuk and his people are natives to the Wastes."

Kushina frowned in mild surprise at this, "Really? I guess that's not too surprising considering I just learned that the region is apparently fairly abundant with plant life, so it would make sense that it could support animal life as well. How do they live?"

"Underground," Naruto answered, "I was explaining to Kana earlier that most of the city's inhabitants are wastelanders. They call themselves 'The Tribe', and their culture and lifestyle are in fact tribal in nature. We've actually based the laws of the city after their own laws, and they're the ones who really keep things going here. Most of the inspiration for the city's technology came from the Tribe, as a matter of fact."

"Really?" Kushina seemed to marvel at the people she was now learning about, "What resourceful, innovative people they must be."

"You don't know the half of it," Naruto remarked, "You know how our main dish tonight is fresh seafood? Where's the nearest source of salt water to us?"

"Hundreds of miles away, and you can't get there in a straight line, can you?"

"No, you can't. But on the Wastes-side of Furontian territory are several facilities that help feed this city and give us certain necessities. We have a 400-square-mile salt water marine farm that's about two miles deep at the lowest point – that's where we get all of our seafood, as well as seaweed and other marine vegetables. That's just one of many facilities."

Naruto continued, "On a side note, it was also the Tribe who helped us to develop the living module that we'll be using to cross the Wastes once we head out from here – it opens space underground and then replaces it once it packs itself back up."

"Amazing," Kushina uttered breathlessly.

"They're a spectacular people – outcasts to the rest of the world who know of them, but capable of feats and accomplishments that would make those same people's heads spin. I feel I can relate to them…" he began to grow nostalgic, "…I guess that's why I feel so at home, here."

Kushina simply smiled warmly at him in response before sharing a companionable silence with him. It was during this period of silence that Kialuk made an appearance with their meal. He refilled their drinks as needed and stood off to the side, allowing the two of them their privacy as they dined and talked.

Once their meal was finished, Naruto and Kushina began to make their way out, with Kushina highly complimenting Kialuk on the meal. Kialuk smiled and accepted her compliments humbly before leading them out and wishing them a good evening. Naruto continued to lead Kushina farther away from his quarters, bringing a smile to her face as she knew that the evening was not yet over.

As they were walking along, Kushina commented wryly, "Your table manners were much more refined tonight than I've usually seen."

"Well, I believe in leading by example. As the Lord Commander of this city, I should present myself as such. I just don't see the point in using them so much at home where nobody but those who will be living with me for the foreseeable future see me."

Kushina frowned in thought at this, "Makes sense…I guess."

Naruto chuckled at her answer as they continued walking along. A few moments later, they heard the sound of booted feet hitting the wide walkway in perfect cadence. Naruto told her that it was a squad out on routine patrol. When the squad came into sight, Naruto froze and gasped in shock at the sight of the squad's only female member. Kushina saw that the woman had a lithe build, dark brown hair just lighter than black, and angular, tough features, though the blend of those features somehow gave her face a delicate look.

"No…" he began, "…it can't be."

As they came closer, he began to stumble, then briskly walk and then run up to the female of the squad, causing the command to halt to be issued by the squad's commanding officer.

"Shiko?" he asked, approaching the woman, who was beginning to look confused, though to her credit, she stayed in formation.

"Shiko?!" he repeated, this time more insistently as he stopped right in front of the woman.

"Err…Lord Commander?" the woman asked in surprise while frowning as she studied Naruto's face, "Is there…something I can do for you, sir?"

Upon seeing her face up close, the resemblance was striking, but there were minor differences between this woman and who he thought she was.

"My apologies, corporal…" he began to address her after noticing her rank insignia on her collar, but paused upon realizing that he didn't know her name.

"Yori. Corporal Eriko Yori at your service, sir," the woman introduced herself in impeccable military fashion, though with a softer tone than she might otherwise use.

"Thank you, Corporal Yori. You bear a striking resemblance to…a woman I once knew. Again, I apologize for disrupting yours and your squad's patrol. Please, carry on."

Corporal Yori looked to her commanding officer, who simply nodded, giving her permission to address Naruto and speak for the squad. She turned back to Naruto, bowed and said, "By your leave, sir."

The commander of the squad issued the command to continue in a forward march as the squad went on its way. Naruto could feel the sting of fresh tears as they emerged and started to run down his face. His attention was drawn when a pair of hands grabbed one of his. He turned to see Kushina, who looked very concerned.

"Are you alright?" she asked carefully and compassionately.

Naruto looked back at the squad, then back at Kushina before telling her with a straight face, "No. No, I'm not alright."

Kushina frowned as her concern for Naruto began to grow, "Naruto-koi…who's Shiko?"

Naruto just blinked, trying to clear his eyes and collect himself. Seeing that he was truly at a loss for what to say, Kushina spoke up, "Naru-koi, this isn't like you. I can see that an old wound of some kind has just been reopened. You…you look like you need to talk about this."

Naruto could feel something that he almost never felt anymore begin to creep back up – fear. This was something that frightened him. His breathing began to grow heavier, though he managed to stay in control of himself.

"Kushina-hime," he began, his own voice barely remaining unbroken through his tears, "I…I don't know if…if…"

He felt Kushina's hand come to his cheek and rest there. Returning his gaze to his redheaded date, he saw tears beginning to flow from her eyes as well – tears for him!

"I'm here for you," she told him softly, her own voice breaking as well, "I told you that my heart's only desire is to make your life better, and to make you happy. I promise you that I will keep you safe and protected if you need to get this out so you can be free of whatever pain this is bringing you. I want to help you. Please…talk to me."

Naruto calmed himself and took Kushina's hand in his own, leading her briskly down the walkway. She followed him, keeping pace with him admirably. She didn't know what he was thinking or feeling at that moment – he might have wanted to go somewhere away from people to talk, or he might have been leading her somewhere where he could throw her out of the city for all she knew. She simply knew somehow that whatever it was he was about to do, it was something he felt he needed to do. She trusted him – she trusted that he wouldn't do anything that would bring her to harm, and so she followed along without complaint.

Once he stopped walking, she noticed that they were right next to the inside of the city's outer wall. Naruto led her to an elevator and pressed the button for the very top level. He simply looked downward the entire time the elevator was taking them up to the highest level that it transported to. Once they reached the top, he led her off and towards the outer edge of the wall. He had brought her to the wall, but it was the western wall of the city, and they were looking out over the Western Wastes! Naruto was right – it did have a haunting beauty all its own at night.

"I…" Naruto began, his voice somewhat hoarse from the tears he had shed minutes earlier, "…I wanted to bring you here tonight just to show you the view. But it's…also an isolated spot, and I can lock this level so that nobody else can use the elevator to get up here."

Kushina brought her free hand to Naruto's back, and began to gently and soothingly rub back and forth across his shoulders. Naruto glanced at her and gave a weak smile in gratitude.

"As much as I don't want to, I…I think you're right. It's time I talked about it, and it'll also let me tell you more about what I've been doing with myself since I left Konoha."

He turned and looked out over the wastes before he began, "Her name was Shiko…and she was…"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A/N: And there... cliffhanger ^_^ Now don't forget. Ncpfan did the whole chapter, so praise him. NOT me.


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